


Tides of light and cold

by siojo



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, Bad Flirting, Discussion of Death, Eventual Happy Ending, Family Drama, Marco and Ace both suck at actually admitting they're in love, Mentioned Mental Health Issues, Multi, Mutual Pining, Roger is old and tired, Roger's mysterious powers are talked about, Rouge & Edward brotp, Sabo and Luffy are so done with bad flirting, Secret Identity, Voice of Everything is a dick, Worry, ace knows something is going on here Phoenix, i promise there's a happy ending one day., marco and phoenix powers are discussed, marco cares too much, marco is oblivious as ever, mentioned Gol D Roger, mentioned Gol D Roger/Portgas D Rouge, rouge is so done, stunted confessions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2018-09-28 10:50:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 36,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10094771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siojo/pseuds/siojo
Summary: Ace has two wishes, exactly two. To have enough funding to actually be proactive instead of reactive to heroes and villains duking it out across the city and to have his family stop teasing him about Marco and Phoenix.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is not related to my previous superhero au, for which I am sorry. This is an entirely new one.

Ace sighs tiredly, rubbing at his eyes, already knowing when he looks back down at the paperwork he’s been going over for the last few hours that he’ll see the same thing that he had been. What it always says when he looks it over, that’s there isn’t enough funding or volunteers to go around to all the projects submitting requests for aid. It wasn’t going to change, even with the donations that he was able to sweet talk out of the Newgate family.

 

Not that it took much talking to get the Newgate family to donate their time and money to the Oro Jackson. It was the other families that took weeks of sweet talking and complimenting and just short of begging to get them to give him more than a few hundred dollars because ‘It’s such a good tax write off’. Usually followed by far too much fake laughter and how ‘I wish I could donate more’.

 

Oro Jackson never has the money or volunteers that they need to help the way that Ace wants to. He’s always short something.

 

Most of the volunteers are friends that Ace or his mom can guilt into giving them a few hours of their time, a few are there for the good publicity to advance their campaigns and show they ‘care for the community’, or, once in a blue moon, they get someone that needs to fulfil community service hours for court settlements. There was just never enough.

 

“You look stressed,” Rouge says calmly startling him as she sits down on the edge of his desk. “Something wrong sweetheart?”

 

“Not enough funds,” Ace answers leaning into her touch as she runs her fingers through his hair. “We’ve had three supervillain attacks in the last week and at least half a dozen supers have been duking it out over territory rights.”

 

“Not to mention the vigilante groups that have been doing things that they shouldn’t?” Rouge adds.

 

Ace grins, “Honestly, the vigilantes are causing the least amount of damage. You would think it was the other way around, what with the supers being government funded and all.”

 

“Which is probably why they don’t care about what they break, sweetheart. Edward mentioned that he was going to be donating at the end of the week and that his oldest was promising to come to the event that you have planned later this week.”

 

“Marco,” Ace mutters even though they both know that his mother knows exactly who Edward was talking about. “Marco volunteers a lot and he’s always willing to throw more money our way if he can afford it.”

 

Rouge grins, poking Ace’s cheek, “Does my son have a crush?”

 

“I’m glad to have his support and friendship. Marco is a valued member of our volunteers.”

 

“Are you using your press conference voice on me?” Rouge giggles.

 

“Never?” Ace says slowly, more a question than an answer.

 

Rouge shakes her head, “You know it’s times like this that you remind me of,” Her voice shakes for a moment before she pushes forwards. “Your father, sweetheart. He use to make the same face.”

 

“I’m not him.”

 

“No,” She agrees. “You’re my son.”

 

Ace grins, “Think if I ignore that we’re short funding that we can carry on and do all the things that we want to?” He sighs when Rouge raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t think so. Can you call some of the normal donors and try and drum up some more funds?”

 

“Of course I can. I’ll let you know how it goes but make sure not to commit to anything extra until we find out what we can really do.”

 

“Promise mom.”

 

Rouge smiles, mussing his hair, “Good boy. I’ll be in my office if anything changes.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

He glances back at his paperwork as his mom leave, her heels clicking on the floor, looking like she had just gotten back from meeting with a client, which was probably true. Rouge was busy most days, just like he was since she was the head of the Oro Jackson.

 

Ace liked to pretend that Oro Jackson was his mother’s organization, started when he was a child and run by herself and a few friends before Ace was old enough to help her with it. It was a lie that he could usually convince himself was real most days. Most people thought it was his mother’s brainchild these days.

 

It wasn’t.

 

Oro Jackson had been Roger’s organization. His idea to help people affected by the fights that came hand in hand with the superheroes and villains that seemed to appear from the darkness. It had been reopened and reworked after the incident by his mother, redesigned slightly to distance themselves from their past.

 

Fortunately for their funding, most people no longer remembered what had gone down when they heard the Oro Jackson’s name or they pretended that they didn’t. Most people didn’t remember the name of the non-profit that that man had been run before.

 

“I hate supers,” Ace sighs refocusing on his paperwork tiredly. “Hate them so much.”

 

Supers were suppose to protect people, suppose to be there to remove the threats of villains and vigilantes. That wasn’t how it went down in reality. Supers damaged more than most villains could ever hope to achieve, breaking and destroying as they attempted, poorly, to protect.

 

Not that it mattered to the public, all of them buying into the ideas of Supers that the government sold in comic books and shows directed towards children to make them buy into the idea that they were selling. Indoctrinating them so young that most didn’t even realize what was happening. Not unless they ended up like him or saved by a vigilante that both of his brothers pretended that they weren’t.

 

Most vigilantes at least cared about the damages that they caused and attempted to keep it down to reasonable costs, or, like the Whitebeards, paid for the damages by donating in such a way that everyone knew it was them. Ace could respect that. They took responsibility for what they did.

 

With all the money that supers made from their licensed merchandise and the use of their names and likenesses in comics, Ace would think that they could afford to pay for at least some of the messes that they caused instead of leaving it to donations and the rare government grants. The grants weren’t anywhere near as large as people thought. Ace had gotten one just after he had joined the Oro Jackson formally, it hadn’t even covered the damage that they had applied for it to fix.

 

Ace gets more money from Sabo’s pickpocketing habit.

 

“Ace, sweetheart, are you going to come down to dinner?”

 

“Mom?”

 

Rouge smiles, “I got off the phone with a few of our donors, it’s not looking good. Come take a break and eat, we can try again tomorrow.”

 

“That good, huh?”

 

“Well, I think it might have something to do with the damage that the last Super territory dispute caused. It did take out over half of the nicest shopping districts.”

 

“And a dozen summer retreats?” Ace adds tiredly. “Fine, we’ll continue tomorrow then. When did you get the time to make dinner, mom?”

 

“When I was on the phone with Edward. He said he would talk to some of his friends and see what he could get out of them.”

 

Ace nods, “I remember the last time, mom,” He yawns. “Alright, let’s eat.”

 

“Thank you, sweetheart, come on to the kitchen and then you can go to sleep. It’s going to be a long day and it’s best if you get up well rested instead of trying to pull another all-nighter.”

 

“There’s still so much paperwork. And that asshole Blackbeard and Akainu aren’t helping. Between the two of them, they’ve damaged so much of the city that I’m surprised that we’ve been able to rebuild fast enough for them to break it again.”

 

“Construction is such a lucrative job,” Rouge says smirking. “Come on sweetheart, food. Or I will slip sleeping pills into your meal like I use to do when you were in college.”

 

Ace laughs as he stands up from his desk and follows her to the kitchen, “I’m the only person who’s mother use to slip them sleeping pills because they would stay up for days at a time.”

 

“I also know that sleeping poorly makes it hard to keep your narcolepsy under control and I don’t want anything bad to you, sweetheart. Don’t you think that Sabo and Luffy haven’t told me about what happened to you in high school when I was away for that protest and Dadan agreed to watch you three for me.”

 

“They betray me so easily.”

 

“I may have bribed them with cake,” Rouge admits easily.

 

“You would, mom. Luffy can’t resist cake or stories about his dad.”

 

“And I have quite a few stories about Dragon’s antics. Poor Luffy didn’t even know his dad’s name the first time that I brought him up. You would think Garp would talk about his son more, even I talk about your f-father more than that.”

 

“Dragon’s not as bad as him,” Ace mutters shoving his fork into his mouth, leaning over his plate, still standing. “He is at least better behaved.”

 

“You always say that, but Dragon use to have the worst habit of following Roger into his worst plans. I use to pull my hair out on more than one occasion trying to control those two and Edward long enough to keep them,” Her voice trails off suddenly and Ace knows exactly what she is going to say.

 

Out of jail.

 

Out of jail where his father has been since almost before Ace was born and unmarried to his mom so only a few people even knew that Ace was his son. Not with how hard Rouge worked to ensure that she and Ace were never connected with him. Few people even remembered that Oro Jackson had been Roger’s to begin with, considering all the changes it had gone through since.

 

No one wanted to be connected to the most hated vigilante in the world. The government had long since announced that any family that that man had would be placed in jail with him if they were found. Sengoku had made sure to tell Ace as much the last time he had come around with Garp, watching Ace too closely and asking too many questions about what Ace thought of the Superhero system.

 

Ace could never do what Roger had, it would kill his mother.

 

Rouge was strong, far stronger than most people gave her credit for in the end. Even after Roger had told her that he had done all of it for her. She had told Ace years ago that she could never forgive him.

* * *

Ace is about to slam his head down on his desk when the door to his office slams open and Luffy throws himself over the desk, forcing Ace’s chair to roll back and slam into the wall, “Ace!”

 

“Captain,” Robin says smiling enigmatically as always as she peers into the room. “I thought that I asked you not to break any more doors? We don’t want Navigator-san to increase the debt you owe her, do you?”

 

“But it’s just Ace,” Luffy says arms around Ace’s neck. “He’s my big brother, he’s not mad, are you?”

 

“I’m not mad,” Ace agrees. “But you know that mom has asked you to stop breaking the house. What are you doing here anyway? Sabo said that you were taking care of something around Ennis Lobby.”

 

“I did it already. Robin got caught and now she’s safe,” Luffy says happily. “Right, Robin?”

 

“Of course, captain,” Robin agrees easily, standing still in the doorway with her hands clasped behind her back. “For the given value of safety.”

 

Ace shakes his head, “And you think taking down Ennis Lobby is going to keep you from getting from getting into more trouble with the government?”

 

“It’s okay, they’re jerks anyway. They made Robin cry and threatened to kill her and Franky!”

 

“That’s a good reason to take them down,” Ace agrees. “But I have a lot of work left to do and not a lot of time, Lu. What are you doing here?”

 

Luffy frowns, eyes narrowing as if he was trying to remember something, “I broke something in town,” He says finally nodding to himself. “And Nami gave me money to give you so that you can help them fix up. You will, won’t you?”

 

“I always help fix up your messes. What did you break, other than Ennis Lobby, which we both know you aren’t going to pay to fix. The government will take care of that all on its own, not like they can’t afford it.”

 

“The bakery on fifth and Fuusha. By Makino’s bar. Makino got mad at me too! But I stopped a villain from taking down the whole block with explosives! I’m suppose to volunteer to help fix it all up too.”

 

Ace nods, “I know. I’ll start planning it for you and I’ll send the notice to Nami when it’s time to start. She’ll make sure that you and your crew make it on time. It’ll be a couple of weeks, I have to call and see if any of my usual volunteers are available and we have a project that’ll take up the next three weeks.”

 

“He’s gonna call Marco,” Luffy tells Robin brightly. “He likes to talk to Marco. Auntie Rouge says that he has a crush.”

 

“Are you teasing me?” Ace demands prodding Luffy’s side and smirking when Luffy wiggles, trying to stifle a giggle. “Are you trying to tease me? Why are you trying to tease me, huh?”

 

Robin looks like she might be attempting not to laugh at them, but Ace can’t read her as well as he can most of Luffy’s other crewmates.

 

“You like him!” Luffy laughs trying to escape.

 

“He’s a valued asset. Besides, he brings at least one on of his siblings with him when he can come along. They make up over half of the normal volunteer force, we wouldn’t be able to do a quarter as much of what we wanted without them helping,” Ace says calmly. “And I need all the help that I can get.”

 

“I know, you say that all the time,” Luffy whines.

 

“Well if people stopped destroying the city,” Ace teases.

 

“I’m not trying to break the city!”

 

Ace laughs, “I know that. I know you are trying to protect the city, but you are still helping break it. Nowhere near as bad as the sanctioned heroes, but still enough to keep me working all the time.”

 

“Yeah, at least we’re better than then,” Luffy says brightly. “You’re not going to tell anyone about Robin, are you? The stupid jerks released her name and information and now she can’t even go back to work or school. That’s so rude.”

 

“Who am I going to tell? I’m sure that the government would be more than willing to take their anger out on me for everything and we,” Ace taps Luffy’s nose, grinning when he wrinkles it and not to stare at it, going cross-eyed. “Besides, I’m a busy man. Other than the donors and potential clients, who am I going to talk to?”

 

“Thank you for the aid, Portgas-san.”

 

“My name is Ace, Robin. If you’re going to be running around with Luffy then it’s best that you know it. He spends a lot of his spare time running around and helping fix up the damage that he’s made with me.”

 

“Of course, Ace.”

 

“Are you gonna talk to Marco? You said that he helped you lots with projects.”

 

“I have to. You might have given me the money to do it but I have to talk to the bakery about allowing me to come and repair the damages in the time frame that I have currently. Will they be able to wait a few week?”

 

Luffy shrugs, “I don’t know.”

 

“They said that they didn’t have much of a choice when Navigator-san asked, Ace,” Robin answers. “Apparently when they tried to make a claim for the damages, they were told that vigilantes wouldn’t be covered by their policy. They were lucky and the kitchens remained undamaged and they can board up and section off what was to continue operations.”

 

“That’s good because I have a three week long project starting in a few days and they weren’t so lucky. Aokiji broke their building, he at least pays for his damages personally. Their insurance told them that since it was two heroes that it wasn’t covered.”

 

The clauses in the insurance contracts were insane, someone could sign up for coverage against heroes and villains only to try and make a claim and be denied for the stupidest of things. Which was part of the reason that Ace was always grateful that some people understood the messes that they were putting others into and tried to pay for them as best they could.

 

“Which means they can wait,” Luffy agrees holding up his phone. “And Makino says that if they can’t sell from their bakery that they can sell from her bar until they have their place back.”

 

“Good, we’ll start up the three weeks of work on the one currently in the lead and then I will have something to tell the owners when I call tomorrow evening. I have to talk to Marco and a few of our usual volunteers to see what their availability will be.”

 

Luffy nods, “Are you still gonna come play Save the passerby with me and Sabo tonight, aren’t you?”

 

“I’ll be there,” Ace promises.

 

“Good. Sabo said if you canceled that he was gonna drag you out by your hair and make you come and play with us. We found this great spot to play too! By a minor villain hideouts just outside of downtown!”

 

“I promised, didn’t it?”

 

“You better!”

 

“Now, I think you have things to do other than dropping off money with me and making sure that I haven’t backed out of our plans, so get. Mom made some cake if you want to grab a slice or two on your way out, but be quiet, she’s sleeping for the first time in days.”

 

“Cake!” Luffy shouts already out the door and down the hall before Ace can say anything else. “Robin come on! Cake!”

 

“I’m sorry about that,” Robin apologizes.

 

Ace waves her off, “He’s my little brother, you would think that I would be able to keep him under control myself, but I haven’t been lucky yet. Go and have some cake, I have calls to make and it’ll be boring for you, I’m sure.”

 

“If you say so, Ace,” Robin says brightly following after Luffy, far more calm that his little brother has even been.”

 

Ace sighs as she leaves, dropping his head into his hands for a long minute before forcing himself to do what he needed to do, locking the money in the safe and making sure that it would remain secure before reaching for his phone and finding the right contact.

 

“Ace?” Marco asks when he finally answers, barely before the phone sent him to voicemail. “Sorry, I was talking to a client or I would have answered sooner.”

 

“It’s fine,” Ace says grinning at the door to his office. “I should have waited until later, but I wanted to ask you about another project that just came up. It’s being funded by one of the vigilantes that broke it, like so many of my projects are. The bakery by Makino’s bar, do you know it?”

 

“I know the place. It got taken down by Strawhat, didn’t it? I thought that part of his town was under his protection and he usually funds his own messes unless he’s been fighting a Super and they caused the most damage.”

 

“That’s true. I was hoping you might be free after our current project? I haven’t had time to check how long it will take but I was thinking of starting it the week after the new project ends?”

 

“That’s the one that will take three weeks,” Marco says almost to himself. “I should be able to do a few days at least and I know that Izo has been talking about helping out more since he can’t help on this project. He should be done with the new project by then.”

 

“That would be great,” Ace says thankfully. “Just anyone else you convince. Luffy says that he might be able to come and he always drags at least a few of his friends. And I might be able to talk Sabo into giving me a day or two.”

 

Marco laughs and Ace’s heart flutters, “You can always convince your brothers to give you a day or two of time. I’ll get Izo and I should be open for a few myself, but I’ll ask the rest of my siblings for you to see who else will be free.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“It’s no trouble at all, Ace. I’ll see you tomorrow to start on the restaurant?”

 

“See you there.” Rouge clears her throat and Ace fumbles his phone, thankful that he’s already hung up, “Mom?”

 

Rouge raises an eyebrow, “Flirting son?”

 

“I’m not flirting with Marco, mom!”

 

“I never said anything about Marco, sweetheart, I just said flirting.”

 

Ace sticks his tongue out of her before leaning heavily back in his chair with a sigh, “How did your talk with Edward go?”

 

“He’s talking to some of his people and seeing who is going to be easy to convince into throwing more money our way,” Rouge answers leaning against the doorframe. “I hear we’ve got another mess to clean up for Luffy?”

 

“Yeah, I’ve got Marco looking into which of his siblings might be able to help us in rebuilding the bakery beside Makino’s bar. It can wait the three weeks we need to get the restaurant back up and running.”

 

“I can drum up at least a few more volunteers. Might even be able to get Shanks to crawl out from his damn hiding place instead of drinking himself sick like Benn keeps saying he does.”

 

“Shanks is a nuisance even if he helps us,” Ace states frowning. “He’s as likely to show up drunk as he is to show up at all.”

 

“He’s also one of the most powerful vigilantes in this town and you know it, sweetheart. We need his help as much as we need the other vigilantes supporting us.”

 

“So frustrated?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“You do know that vigilantes come from, sweetheart. You get frustrated enough and you decide to take matters into your hands. It’s,” Rouge pauses and Ace knows that look. That’s the look that always crosses his mother’s face when she’s thinking of his father. “It’s how Roger became what he was.”

 

“I’m not him.”

 

“No, you aren’t but you are a lot like him or do you think that you get all that you are from me? I’m not that stubborn, sweetheart, I’ve never been. Not even when I restarted the Oro Jackson.”

 

Ace shakes his head, “Fine, I’ll try and be nicer to Shanks, but if he brings that man up again, I reserve the right to punch him in the face.”

 

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

 

“Think there’s any cake left,” Ace asks trying to change the subject to chase away the shadow that seemed to have settled over his mother’s shoulders. “I could use something in my stomach before Luffy decides to drag me off to play Save the passerby. He’s already too excited to wait much longer.”

 

Rouge laughs and Ace marvels at how much more real it sounds than it has in a while, “I think I must have told you too many stories about what your father was like when he was young. Only you three would decide to play hero like this.”

 

“We’re not heroes!” Luffy shouts from the kitchen downstairs, his mouth obviously full. “We’re vigi-vigitables!”

 

“Vigilantes, captain,” Robin corrects politely. “Not vegetables.”

 

“Well then sweetheart, go and have some fun playing Save the passerby with your brothers. I expect you home with enough time to rest up before we have to go to work.”

 

“Of course mom,” Ace promises digging through the locked drawer of his desk for a pair of thick black gloves and a domino mask. “I would never do anything to keep us from running our projects.” He kisses her cheek and hurries downstairs, barely resisting the urge to jump over the railing, and grabbing his hat. “Come on, Lu! Loser has to eat vegetables!”

 

Luffy shouts and something crashes as he hurries out the house on Ace’s heels, Robin taking her time to clean up the mess left in the kitchen and closing the door softly as she left.

 

Rouge sighs, glancing at the only picture of Roger that she had kept after, her smile sad, “He really is your son as much as I might wish otherwise. He’s even found his own brothers to play vigilante with. Now,” She looks away from the picture. “Now I hope that he doesn’t end up like you. He’s my son too, at least leave me him, you took everything else from me.”

 

* * *

 

“I hear your crush has some issues with vigilantes,” Izo states sitting on the edge of Marco’s desk, a projection of his consciousness invisible to anyone that he didn’t wish to see him. There just to bother Marco at work, again. “Why would you have a crush on someone who hates vigilantes? I thought your crush on Firefist was awkward.”

 

“He hates a lot of things, Izo, not just vigilantes. Besides, his mom is one of Pop’s oldest friends, I doubt that he’s as pissed about things as he acts. And why are you bringing up Firefist now?” He glances at his co-worker, another vigilante that he had beaten up a few weeks ago and taps his Bluetooth and waiting for them to turn back to their work.

 

“Because of his hatred of the hero system?”

 

Marco frowns, resisting the urge to glare at Izo and settling for glaring at his monitor instead, “Have you been stalking him? I’ve told you to stop stalking people.”

 

“I’m not stalking anyone,” Izo grins like he’s found a loophole in Pops’ rules. “I’m watching him, there’s a difference.”

 

“I’m sure that Thatch will think the same when I tell him about how you use to watch him in the shower before you got the nerve to ask him out.”

 

Izo flushes, “I didn’t!”

 

“Sure you didn’t, just like you don’t stalk Pops when he goes to the jail to visit with his,” Marco frowns. “Friend. He’s going to get upset if he finds out what you’ve been doing, you know he doesn’t like when we get involved with anything he did when we were young, including Roger Gol.”

 

“But we can get involved with Roger’s old charity and a woman widely believed to have been his lover?” Izo demands.

 

Marco hums, clicking on the email from one of his bosses and reading it over idly, “I’m sure that Pops has his reasons for keeping us away from Roger and I’m not going to question him on it, if you want to then welcome to do so. It isn’t our call.”

 

“Have you heard some of the stories about what Roger, Pops, and Dragon got into back when they were all active?”

 

“I’ve heard all the stories that you have.”

 

“And aren’t you curious about the attractive man that you’ve been mooning over since you met him? He calls Roger’s lover, the woman he claimed to have done all those things for, mom. Don't you think that’s a little suspicious? He could be Roger’s son!”

 

“Ace is my friend and while I might like him to be more than that I am content to have him as a friend and to let him keep whatever he wants secret. Would you admit relation to Roger if you were?” Marco asks rolling his eyes. “Don’t you have someone else to talk to? I have work to finish.”

 

“You’re so boring,” Izo sighs dramatically.

 

Marco glances at him finally, eyebrow raised, “I know, so boring. I have six more files to run through before I can even think about taking lunch and another three files that have to be finished by the end of the day so that I can make it to the project that I promised Ace that I would help with.”   
  
“The one I agreed to help with is in a month, right?”

 

“Yes, Izo. The bakery is going to be in a month.”

 

“The one by Shanks’ favorite bar, I remember,” Izo promises. “I assume that there are going to be licensed builders for the more important things, right?”

 

“Ace and Rouge are both licensed contractors,” Marco agrees. “And he usually can find a few more contractors and builders to assist. The bakery will have Franky there too.”

 

“Franky,” Izo frowns. “That’s the blue haired one in a speedo that runs around with the Strawhats, isn’t he?”

 

Marco nods, “Strawhat will be there too, he’s the one that actually broke the building. Apparently, someone taught him that he had to fix what he broke when the government refused to.”

 

“Like how Pops taught us?”

 

“Wonder who taught him, he should be recognizable with that hat. I hear rumor that he never takes it off.”

 

Izo rolls his eyes, “Thank you, dear brother. As if I was too stupid to understand to understand that.”

 

“Get lost and bother someone else,” Marco says shifting the folders on his desk around and picking up the next one he needed to finish. “I’m too busy to deal with you right now.”

 

“You always say that,” Izo sighs. “But fine. I’ve got some questions to ask Haruta and errands that I need to run.”

 

“Then go away.”

 

Izo grins, “Cranky aren’t you?”

 

“Go.”

 

“Fine, fine. I’m leaving,” Izo says as he vanishes into nothing.

 

Marco shakes his head tiredly, even his powers couldn’t replace too many days without sleep and missed meals. Too many and he would end up needing help just like a normal person would, but Ace had asked and Marco wanted to help as much as he could. Even if that meant a bit of lost sleep and missed meals. He knew how hard Ace worked and how much effort went into every one of the projects that he did and Marco just couldn’t say no to that kind of dedication.

 

He glances at the wall and sighs, Gentleman had said that they were going to set up along his patrol route to play their game. Maybe he would get done with enough time to show up and tease Firefist until he snapped again, Marco loved doing that. Firefist always turned such a pretty shade of red when Marco teased him enough. And if Marco was talented enough, his might even get him to flame around the cheeks, it had been awhile since he had gotten the chance to do that.

 

* * *

 

Sabo is waiting in the alleyway before the street that had been picked out for this round of their game, leading the way up the abandoned building’s fire escape to the lookout point that he had set up for them one the roof, “Koala couldn’t make it tonight and I asked Whitebeard about his men and he said that Phoenix patrols this area.”

 

“You seem to pick places that Phoenix patrols more often than Strawhat picks places that put us in contact with Surgeon,” Ace states tugging on his gloves and checking that his mask was settled correctly on his face. “I thought you and Koala were doing alright?”

 

“I’m not doing it for that!” Sabo sputters and Ace counts it as his victory. “Phoenix is good back up if we get into something over our heads again and you know it. We spent weeks having to run away from Big Mom’s people when we took out one of her buildings and don’t forget what happened with Kaido. I thought that we could patrol with someone that has been known to put up a decent fight against both of them instead of hoping we can run away fast enough.”

 

Ace grins, “I was just teasing you, wasn’t I Strawhat?”

 

“Yeah, we were just teasing you,” Luffy agrees brightly around the food stuffed into his mouth. “Firefist’s mom had cake, too bad you didn’t come visit with me, Gentleman.”

 

“I missed out on cake?” Sabo asks Ace looking sad.

 

“Yeah, this dork,” He uses his foot to knock Luffy away from the meat. “Finished it off with Robin. Which reminds me, you know someone who can forge can’t you? She’s been unmasked publicly and she can’t even get a job anymore, think they could make her some new papers.”

 

Sabo nods, “Sure, unless you have it covered Straw?”

 

Luffy swallows his mouthful, “Please Gentleman? Surgeon says that he can’t help me this time, apparently, I’ve been causing too much trouble on his patrol routes and that’s getting him into trouble with the Security Cans. He’s such a meanie.”

 

“Security Council?”

 

“Yeah, that!”

 

“I’ll talk to Dragon about it and see how long it will take to set her up with something.”

 

“Tell my Dragon-dad that I beat up CiperPol because I did. I beat up,” Luffy pouts, tilting his head and crossing his arms over his chest. “Lucy?”

 

“Rob Lucci,” Ace corrects bouncing to his feet. “I get the first round.”

 

He can hear them both complaining as he jumps off the roof, using his flames to slow his descent and hurrying down the street in time to bring his dagger up to block a sword from slicing across the back of an older man walking down the sidewalk, smirking at the attacker dangerously. The man pauses, just as shocked to see Ace blocking his attack as the older man is to turn around at the clash of their blades and stop them both.

 

“Come with me,” Ace hears Sabo say to the man, voice calm and soothing. “Firefist will take care of this while I escort you to a better part of town or home. Do you live close by?”

 

Ace tunes him out and takes great pleasure in beating the idiot into the ground and cuffing him to a light post for the next patrol that came through. He hurries back up to the roof where Luffy had finished off the meat the Sabo had brought for the night and prodding the vegetables in disgust.

 

“Smoker patrols this area,” Sabo states licking sauce from his thumb. “That means he’ll be by in a few hours to pick up what we’ve left for him.”

 

“Smoky is great,” Luffy agrees brightly. “He calls me a public nu-stance.”

 

“Nuisance,” Ace corrects with a laugh. “That’s not a compliment. It’s actually an insult.”

 

Luffy shakes his head in denial, “No way, Smoky likes me!”

 

“And this one is mine,” Sabo interrupts before diving from the building before Ace even noticed the couple strolling down the street, too busy looking at each other than what was going on around them, honestly. They start running the moment that Sabo’s pipe slams against their stalker’s arm and something crunches loudly.

 

“That’s two you missed, Strawhat,” Ace teases as Sabo bounces back up to them happily, using his handkerchief to wipe the blood from his cheek. “Looking for your own target?”

 

Luffy frowning, chin resting on the small wall around the roof, “It’s my turn! I wanna catch someone for Smoky too!”

 

Sabo grins, “I’m sure you can catch at least one person before Smoker sends his first patrol our way.”

 

“But I wanna fight now,” Luffy whines.

 

“I’m sure it won’t take long for someone else to do something stupid,” Ace says laying back and tipping his hat over his face with a yawn. “Wake me up when Strawhat has had his turn, I have work tomorrow and I’m gonna have to take at least a couple naps to make up for how late you both are going to keep me out tonight.”

 

“You love us,” Sabo says grinning. “I’ll wake you up after he takes someone down. If the pattern keeps up that’s at least an hour or two before you’re back up.”

 

Ace yawns, “Perfect.”

 

“He’s tired,” Luffy says pouting when Ace starts snoring. “Auntie Rouge says he’s not sleeping a lot and it’s making his narcolepsy worse.”

 

“I know, apparently the Oro has been hurting for funding and volunteers. It’s not good, you know how Ace gets when that happens, Auntie Rouge is probably worried.”

 

Luffy nods, “You think we can do something to help?”

 

“Not unless you have quite a bit of money and know people who like to volunteer,” Sabo sighs as he presses his head against his arm. “Even I can’t help him and Dragon likes to donate to Oro. They’re losing funding to other groups.”

 

“That’s stupid, Ace’s group is the best,” Luffy says frowning at the quiet street. “Where are they?”

 

Sabo laughs, “Probably too scared to come and see you.”

 

“No, stop them from being scared so I can beat them up. It’s my turn.”

 

“I’m sure someone will come along soon, Strawhat. Just give them some time.”

 

“Fine,” Luffy sighs put upon.

 

It takes almost an hour before another one of the group that they’ve been beating up appears, probably searching for the two that Sabo and Ace had taken out, Luffy jumps off the roof before Sabo can say anything running up the woman and punching her so hard that she flew into a light post several feet away.

 

“Smoker’s not going to be pleased,” He sighs.   
  
“Not going to be pleased?” Sabo jerks, falling backward as he tried to spin around, both of his legs having fallen asleep. “Nice to see you, Gentleman.”

 

“Phoenix, I see you’re still sneaking up on us,” Sabo says frowning at him as he pushes himself back up. “You could have just said hello like a normal person.”

 

“Where the fun in that? Firefist is asleep already?”

 

Sabo is pretty sure that Phoenix is pouting and he grins, “Napping, he’s got work tomorrow and he needs to rest. I’m actually about to wake him up for his turn if you want to wait a few minutes for Strawhat to get back up here.”

 

“I have nothing better to do,” Phoenix agrees smiling.

 

Luffy throws himself up the building excitedly after locking up his victim with the other two, “I did it, S,” He freezes when he spots Phoenix. “Gentleman.”

 

“You still haven’t gotten the hang of this secret identity thing yet, have you Strawhat?”

 

“Have too!”

 

“I’m sure you have,” Phoenix agrees. “How are you doing after Ennis Lobby?”

 

Luffy grins as Sabo leans over and pokes Ace awake, “I’m good. Did you hear about what they did to my poor Robin?”

 

“I did, I’m sorry that they took her life from her like that. Will she be alright?”

 

“Gentleman says that he can help her with it,” Luffy answers brightly.

 

“What,” Ace mumbles shoving his hat back up on his head and scrubbing at his eyes. “Gentleman? Phoenix?”

 

“Sleeping Beauty awakens and he didn’t even need a kiss,” Phoenix teases grinning brightly. “And to think I was about to volunteer myself.”

 

Ace snorts, “Who let you in public with such horrible jokes?”

 

“There’s no one to stop me, maybe you should.”

 

“Hm, I think I’m too busy to put a leash on you, pretty bird.”

 

Phoenix leans back on the top of the roof access, hand covering his heart and his other hand pressed to his forehead like a Victorian woman with the vapors, “Whatever shall I do without you to reign me in, darling? To keep me from flying the coop?”

 

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

 

“I couldn’t, not when you have stolen my heart.”

 

Sabo groans quietly and pulls a face that Luffy quickly matches. This was why they danced between different members of Whitebeard’s group because Ace and Phoenix flirting was disgusting and they couldn’t stand it for half as long as they would keep flirting. Sabo was sure that this would keep up until Phoenix finally said something about having to  _ away to save a fair maiden, but worry not, my heart is yours _ .

 

They were disgusting. Sabo has already decided if they end up getting married, he is going to be the best man and no one can steal that spot from him. Not with all the horrible flirting that he’s been suffering through because of this.

 

“I’m not pretty!” Sabo looks up in time to see Ace’s face turn so dark a red that he’s sure that it has to be his flames and not blood. “I’m not!”

 

“Gorgeous!” Phoenix continues smiling brighter. “Breathtaking, alluring, resplendent, sublime. Should I go on Firefist?”

 

Ace shakes his head furiously, “You are such a-a stupid bird!”

 

“But darling, you’re the most amazing creature I have ever seen.”

 

“Maybe you should stop flirting with pigeons!”

 

Phoenix bursts into startled laughter, “You win this time, my heart, but don’t think that I won’t be victorious the next time we play. One day, I will win the prize you promised me,” He stands brushing off his pants. “I’ll be in the area if you need any help. Just shout.”

 

Sabo waits until Phoenix has vanished before looking at Ace, “Prize?”

 

“It’s nothing!” Ace says loudly turning to look at the empty street.

 

“What would you have promised to make him so eager to win?” Sabo asks watching Ace closely. “A hug?” Nothing. “Your number.” No. “A kiss?” Bingo.

 

“What, no! Who would want to kiss that stupid bird!”

 

Sabo bites back a laugh before Ace tries to burn him, this was going to be fun. He would have to figure out how to make sure that Phoenix won soon, he wanted to see what Ace would do when he finally had to pay up.  
  


* * *

  
“How do you have paint on your face already,” Marco asks sliding a thumb across Ace’s cheek to wipe it off. “You haven’t even started painting and you’ve already got it on you.”

 

Ace flushes darkly and pouts, “One of the kids knocked over a paint can and I had to pick it up and clean the mess.”

 

“Not one of the usual kids,” Marco says grinning at him. “You got enough people to rebuild the front end? I can at least do some of the heavy lifting for you if you need a little extra help.”

 

“We should be fine,” Ace says smiling back at him brightly. “But I can let you know if something changes? Actually, we could use your help keeping an eye on the people working back here with you. Shakky is supposed to be dropping by and corralling them but she’s going to be later than she thought.”

 

Marco nods, “I can handle it.”

 

“Thanks, I have to get up front to start everything. Oh, be careful with the blond kid, he’s here because he’s already trying his hand at villainy and his parents are hoping to rehabilitate him.”

 

“I’ll stick to him like glue.”

 

The kid is a cranky little thing, worse than Firefist after Marco’s gotten him blushing, the kind of kid that Marco’s seen turn to villainy early and stay there because of some sort of slight, real or perceived. His powers didn’t help him, Marco’s sure, the ability to create explosives with a touch. He’s an angry teenager looking for attention and Marco is more than willing to give him it as they spackle and paint the walls up behind the electrician.

 

“So, why villainy?”

 

“What do you mean?” The kid is surly too.

 

Marco grins, “I’ve known the family that runs Oro for years now. Ace mentioned why you were here. Why villainy?”

 

“Because.”

 

“Because isn’t a full answer.”

 

The kid frowns, “I don’t know, it seemed like fun, I guess. At least until I got caught by Phoenix.”

 

Oh, Marco thinks getting a better look at the kid, he remembers this one. A teenaged boy with a hatred of his bullies and teachers that were too hard on him and not hard enough on those who were messing with him. He had been shouting and sullen when he had been cuffed and arrested, probably let off with a warning and some work with a volunteer group.

 

“I heard about that. You tried to destroy your school.”

 

“Yeah,” The kid tilts his head. “It was poorly planned.”

 

“Poorly planned, huh?”

 

He nods, “Ace, he came to visit me when I was in jail and offered me a chance to avoid being put away for longer. My lawyer said I was looking at twenty years unless I got a miracle, so I told ace that if he could keep me out of prison then I would do anything he wanted me to do. He talked to the judge and I got let off with counseling and mandatory volunteer hours to complete.”

 

“Ace does that, him and his mother both. They think that just giving someone a second chance is better than letting them suffer in jail forever, especially kids. Ace and his brothers use to get in quite a bit of trouble when they were your age. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it does and Ace thinks the times that it does makes it work it.”

 

“I, I don’t think I want to be a villain anymore,” The kid admits after a long moment of silence. “My counselor says that I was probably looking for attention because my folks are never home and because of the teasing.”

 

Marco nods, “I was homeschooled with my siblings. My pops thought that our powers would be too disruptive in a traditional school setting and got us teachers and things to learn without the added disruptions.”

 

“I wish I was homeschooled. The kids at school always say I’m just a villain in the making because my parents are lawyers and they’ve had to defend villains in court before. But that’s something all lawyers do, you know?”

 

“Pops, my dad, he use to be a lawyer, among the other things he’s done over the years, and that was part of why he had us homeschooled. He was worried about the fall out of his job. Besides,” Marco glances at the kid. “Pops defended Roger Gol.”

 

The kid pauses staring at Marco blankly for a long moment before snorting and painting, “You’re lucky that your dad was smart. Wish mine had thought of that before sending me to school with people who wouldn’t understand.”

 

Marco grins, tousling his hair, “Parents aren’t always as smart as you would think that they should be. Have you talked to them about changing schools or being homeschooled?”

 

“Mom is still upset about what I did and dad is blaming her for all of it.”

 

“Adults,” Marco sighs.

 

“You’re an adult!”

 

“No, I’m not,” Marco says grinning. “I’m not an adult, I can’t be.”

 

“You are! All adult like with a job and everything!”

  
  


“You have actual work,” Rouge teases Ace, startling him. “You don’t have time to sit around watching Marco talk to the kid that you have here for community service, sweetheart.”

 

“I’m not,” Ace mutters glancing over to where Marco had gotten the kid to laugh at him again. “I’m working. We’re almost done with the framing and we don’t have time to start putting in the windows or putting on the roof.”

 

Rouge laughs, “I’ve got one of the guys putting up the tarps since we don’t have that time. It looks like someone is getting along with the kid.”

 

“It’s part of why I put them together,” Ace admits. “Marco knows what it’s like to have people think poorly of him because his dad did work as a public defender too. I mean, he defended that man after all.”

 

“That’s true. You’re getting smarter, sweetheart.”

 

“I have to. We’re getting less luck with funding and volunteers.”

 

“Such a smart boy,” Rouge coos, kissing his cheek. “Go talk to your boyfriend.”

 

“He’s not,” Ace hisses, quickly covering his mouth to make sure that he wasn’t heard. “He doesn’t even like me like that, mom! Why do you do this to me!”

 

Rouge laughs, “Go talk to your friend then, see how our little newbie is doing and where you two are going to dinner after this.”

 

“I will,” Ace says already heading their way. “Hey.”

 

“Hey Ace,” Marco says grinning up at him from where he was kneeling by the kid. “We’ve almost finished this up and tomorrow we thought we could tackle the bathrooms, right?”

 

The kid nods excitedly, “Marco’s been teaching me how to paint correctly and use spackle. It’s really easy and lots of fun.”

 

“That’s good, I’m glad that you’re enjoying yourself,” They all jerk towards the front at the sudden honk of a horn. “I think your ride is here, kid.”

 

“It’s my dad,” He sighs dropping his paint roller back into the paint tray. “Same time tomorrow, right Mr. Ace?”

 

“That’s right,” Ace agrees. “I’ll submit the paperwork for today’s hours to the court when I get home so that you don’t get into trouble.”

 

“Okay!”

 

Marco sighs when the kid rushes to the car, a second honk spurring him to move faster, opening the door and throwing himself inside, “He’s not as bad as the normal ones you bring in.”

 

“Yeah, I looked into his case. Thought maybe he could use another chance instead of ending up in jail forever, you know?”

 

“You always think that. One day you are going to be wrong about if someone can be saved or not.”

 

Ace shrugs, “It’s my mom’s fault, I’m sure.”

 

“You blame your mom for everything,” Marco says tapping Ace’s cheek with a paint covered finger. “Want to help me finish this wall before we go to dinner?”

 

“Fine,” Ace says picking up the roller. “He is a good kid, for all that he tried to blow up his school.”

 

“Reminds me of these stories that pops would bring home from visits with one of his best friends about her son.”

 

Ace taps his foot against Marco’s knee, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“A hot-headed little boy with this sullen little pout that came home with too many bruises and split knuckles and she just didn’t know what to do with him.”

 

“I didn’t come home all the time with split knuckles. It was like once a month!”

 

Marco laughs, “I remember pops talking about his friend being so worried about her little boy because he would set his room on fire when he was really upset and she didn’t know if he would stop there.”

 

“Not my whole room. Just papers,” Ace corrects. “We didn’t have much money, even back then, and she’s not actually allowed to touch the money in her trust fund because her parents don’t approve of anything she’s done. They can’t take it from her but they can block her access, so it’s just kind of sitting there.”

 

“Your grandparents?”

 

“Don’t know them. Mom says they’re pretty old fashioned and not all that approving of my entire,” He gestures. “Existence.”

 

“I can get that. Pops’ parents are like that. They don’t talk to him anymore, not since he took me in.”

 

Ace grins, “That’s why mom makes sure that I know that she’ll love me no matter what.”

 

“Pops does the same,” Marco agrees. “Where do you want to go for dinner this time? Izo canceled on us again, by the way.”

 

“He almost always cancels, why do we keep inviting him,” Ace grins. “I don’t care. I have to stop at home first and send the paperwork in for the kid so his hours get counted properly but we can go anywhere.”

 

“There’s a new diner downtown, Thatch likes their pancakes.”

 

“That’s fine.”

 

“Good.”

 

“Good.”

 

Rouge shakes her head, “They can’t get their heads outta their asses, Edward. I swear.”

 

“Izo is still suggesting we lock them in a closet,” Edward laughs. “I’m sure if this keeps up he’ll do it just because he’s tired of them.”

  
  


* * *

 

“I didn’t plan this,” Marco sighs as they hide under the table as another wave of electricity passes through the window and over them. “I can’t believe this happened tonight, seriously!”

 

Ace laughs, “We did decide to eat downtown.”

 

“You would think that they could have one day, just one, where an attack didn’t occur downtown.”

 

“Next time, we are not picking somewhere downtown. We should stay closer to home, were the only thing we have to worry about is a vigilante or a villain. Supers are the worst.”

 

Marco grins, “You just don’t want to have to deal with the delay for your food.”

 

“Of course I don’t,” Ace says yawning. “We’re trapped under a table and who knows if the kitchens will even be operational when this is finished.”

 

“Take a nap,” Marco sighs. “This is going to take a while.”

 

Ace nods, “Yeah and we have to be back at the restaurant pretty early tomorrow.”

 

“You’re gonna end up having to fix this place up too, you know.”

 

“If they have the money for it,” Ace mutters curling up with his coat under his head. “We’re done on projects unless they can get the grants from the government or the person who destroys it pays for it. We’re barely covering the projects we’ve already agreed to.”

 

Marco nods, “I can understand. I wish I could help more.”

 

“You help more than enough,” Ace mutters his eyes closed. “If everyone else could help a fraction as much as you do we would never have to worry about anything.”

 

Marco stares at Ace for a long moment, watching him fall asleep before leaning back so his head hit the booth seat behind him. Ace worked hard, getting the funds and people that he could scrounge up to aid him. He had heard all about Rouge mourning the fact that her son had given up his dream of being an architect to become a construction worker with the permits he needed so that he could help people more. And every time he saw Ace his smile was a little more forced and a little more sad, like he couldn’t be happy because he was trying so hard and nothing was helping.

 

Marco wasn’t sure how long it would be before Ace did something too insane to try and make a difference because he was old enough to remember how Roger had looked in the lead up to his big breakdown. The things he had done before he had been locked away for trying so hard to kill as many heroes as he could before he was stopped, heroes that had destroyed and broken. He had taken twenty down before Garp the Fist had finally caught him.

 

“You should get some sleep,” Izo whispers appearing beside him. “This is going to take some time. Enel is keeping anyone from getting close and he looks like he’s having fun playing with this one.”

 

“Alright,” Marco agrees tiredly. “Hey Izo, can you ask pops if I can have a moment when I finally get home?”

 

“Sure, I’ll make sure that he knows you need some of his time.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

Izo grins, vanishing before Marco can say anything else, leaving him alone with Ace still asleep underneath the table.

 

“I won’t let you go the way he did,” Marco tells Ace softly, his hand hovering over his hair. “I won’t let you become Roger, not if there’s a chance that I can stop it. Just please, trust me.”

  
Marco hopes that it’ll be enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger wants to help, he wants to do something to make sure that Ace isn't going to become him. Rouge keeps far too many secrets, but she just wants her son to be happy and healthy and alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Myladyday for all her help!

It’s always loud inside his head. The cacophony is insistent, pressing inside his head like a headache that continues on forever, unabated. Constant and throbbing, like he needs more water, but he’s never dehydrated, they make sure of that.

 

Not even the pills that are prescribed to him by the ward’s doctor, a bitter acting woman who used to be followed everywhere by her young assistant, until he had vanished, can make it go silent. They don’t even dull it like they’re suppose to, like the woman has told him that they will, they make him sick and the voices grow louder. It’s like he can’t stop hearing them screaming at him like they need him to come and save them.

 

The guards secure his hands and check the cuffs, made of something that is supposed to dull his abilities, and it does to an extent, but the voices are always louder with them on, checking that everything is locked into place before the thick metal door to his cell slides open again.

 

“You look tired.”

 

Roger blinks, forcing a smile because Edward is always the one that comes to visit him, no matter how much Roger might hope that it was someone else. At least Edward does come, “I’m alright.”

 

“That’s what you said before the incident that landed you here,” Edward reminds him softly, his eyes sad but never full of pity. Roger is grateful to never see any pity in Edward’s eyes. “Rouge sends her love,” Roger’s smile goes soft at the thought of his wife. “And pictures, but she is still far too furious with you to come and visit.”

 

“She’s always furious with me,” Roger admits even though it hurts, accepting the envelope that Edward passes him. “How are they? Her and Rayleigh and the rest?”

 

Edward hums, “Rayleigh spends most of his time dodging the Council’s men and staying with his wife, helping her run her bar. Occasionally, he will accept a brat or two to train up, but I don't’ think that’s happened in the last few years. Not since the last three brats.”

 

“Last three?”

 

“You might have heard the guards cursing one of them recently. Straw Hat, he’s Shanks’ protege,” Roger nods, the one that had been given his old hat. “Destroyed Ennis Lobby to rescue the woman that survived Ohara’s destruction, Nico Robin. She’s a sweet girl, from what my children tell me, a little morbid but utterly loyal to Straw Hat.”

 

“He’s, he’s Dragon’s boy, right?” Edward nods and doesn’t question how Roger knows that, too use to Roger’s abilities. “Who were the other two?”

 

“Dragon’s men, you’ve met several of them previously, if I’m not mistaken?” Edward doesn’t wait for an answer but Roger has met a number of Dragon’s men personally and knows of more by reputation. “The blond chief of his is one of them. He goes by Gentleman since he wears a suit with a cravat and all.” Roger has met that one, he had looked at Roger like he was constantly trying not to punch him in the face. “He and Straw Hat call each other brothers.”

 

“Dragon only has one boy.” Roger knows this. The voices tell him, they let him know a great many things, but only when they decide it’s time. Roger is more controlled by his ability than he controls it.

 

“They, and their third brother, call each other family.”

 

“And the third?” Roger’s head throbs but he pushes past it, because he wants to know about all three boys and their innocent vigilantism. “What about him?”

 

“His name is Firefist, he’s a good kid, works for a non-profit in the real world and only participates in vigilantism when he has a bit of spare time. My oldest has taken it upon himself to start flirting with him. It’s apparently the worst, according to Izo. Izo, you remember I have told you about him?”

 

Roger takes care not to look at the projection of the boy that he shouldn’t be able to see, hovering behind Edward like a worried mother, same as he has the last three times that his friend has come to visit him, “That’s the one that likes kimonos, isn’t it?”

 

“That’s Izo. He wants to lock them both in a closet to make them stop flirting. Apparently they’re worst than you and Rouge when you first met,” Roger snorts. “But there is still Marco’s other crush, Portgas D Ace.”

 

“Rouge,” Roger didn’t know there were other Portgas’. “Rouge has a cousin?” Something stings inside his head and he bites the inside of his cheek to focus on Edward.

 

“Ace is Rouge’s son. We talked about him last week, do-do you not remember?”

 

Roger doesn’t but he nods because he’s suppose to. He can hear the whispers in his head that tell him all about the boy and what he and Edward spoke of, but it hurts. It burns because the voices are also the Voice of the World, the one that he had followed and landed him here.

 

“Ace is a good boy,” Roger says finally, carefully. “Taking care of his mother. His father would be proud of him.”

 

Edward taps his fingers twice on the small space in front of him, eyes darting to the side and something sharp glinting in his eyes when Roger tips his head. It’s a signal, devised years ago when they were still young and Roger wasn’t locked away, that someone is listening. Even if Edward doesn’t know if it’s the guards that are too close, listening for more gossip to share thought they shouldn’t, or someone else.

 

Edward nods, “Ace’s father should be. He’s a good kid, even if he hates heroes. He works for the Oro Jackson and has for four years now, even use to volunteer there when he was a child. He works himself to collapse trying to keep it running with Rouge.”

 

“He sounds like he needs to relax, before he overworks himself.”

 

That is his son, Roger remembers. His son, his and Rouge’s, who worked himself to the bone to make sure that the Oro Jackson could continue to help people in need. He is always proud of his son, the little boy that he had wanted to protect from the world before he had even been born.

 

“He does. My poor Marco likes him too.”

 

“Maybe they should all get locked in the closet,” Roger doesn’t need the voices to remind him that his son is Firefist. His son is and has always been a vigilante even though it had taken Ace far too long to make an alter ego instead of punching his way through anyone that stood in his way. “It would save time and effort.”

 

Edward laughs, “It would, wouldn’t it, old friend? And how are you?”

 

“I’m, I’m fine. You can tell her that. That I’m fine. I-I’m still not sorry for what I did but I am sorry for how it affected her. She’s still furious with me, isn’t she?”

 

“She has said that she would punch you before she ever hugs you.”

 

“Ah, my Rouge is such a spitfire.”

 

It hurts. Everything hurts because it’s Roger’s fault that he isn’t out there with his family. He hadn’t moved quietly enough, hadn’t moved quickly enough and he had failed. All of the plans he had made and the work that he had done was erased after his capture and now the world  _ screamed _ . It screamed and screamed and there was nothing that Roger could do, not while he was locked away like this.

 

“We’re worried about Ace,” Edward says finally, interrupting Roger’s thoughts, had he been talking the whole time? What could Roger have missed? “Both Rouge and I are. He’s starting to show quite the hatred of heroes.”

 

“What?”

 

“It’s not something that most of Ace’s friends have realized yet, but Marco remembers you and the lead up to the end. He says that it’s strikingly similar to what little he can remember clearly. He wants to help him. What do you think, Roger?”

 

His son, his son was suffering because Roger hadn’t finished what he had started. He hadn’t done enough and now Ace was suffering. His chest aches and his knuckles go white where he’s clutching the envelope from Rouge too tightly.

 

“He, are you sure it’s like me?”

 

“I haven’t seen him recently, but I’ve made plans to do so, to see if it’s as Marco remembers or just similar in nature.”

 

“I hope it’s not. That it’s not what happened to me,” Roger says slowly. Carefully. He won’t tell this Izo anything more than Edward has. “I hope it’s not.”

 

Edward nods slowly, “Is it possible?”

 

“The voice is loud.”

 

It’s loud and it hurts, the Voice of the World in his head. It aches and begs and threatens. All the things that are needed and what must be done to make them happen. Roger has never been sure if it was a superpower or a curse in the end. He doesn’t know if it’s genetic, both of his parents were long dead before he got the chance to ask, he has no more answers for Edward than anyone else.

 

“I see. I have to go, but I’ll be back next week, Roger. I hope it will be with better news.”

 

“Goodbye Edward.”

 

Roger is docile as the guards escort him back to his cell and lock him inside, listening to them means that he won’t have his gift taken and Roger wants to see the pictures first before then. He waits a few minutes more to open the envelope from Rouge, pouring the pictures on the bed and staring at them curiously.

 

Most of them are of people that he hasn’t seen in years. Rayleigh with hair as gray as it once was blond and Shanks with a scar over one eye that makes the voices hiss but doesn’t explain why it is upset by it. There’s a few with names and descriptions on the back because Roger never got to meet them, like Ace’s. Ace’s pictures had gotten fewer the older his son had grown. There were hundreds of pictures of his son with Rouge’s pretty smile when he was younger, but the pictures now were fewer and the smiles rare.

 

There is a picture of Rouge in this set too, her smile bright and her eyes glowing, just as breathtaking as the day that Roger had met her, being escorted down the stairs by Ace. He recognizes his son, even if only through pictures. They look happy, except Roger can see the way that Ace’s smile is ready to fall the minute the camera is gone and his eyes don’t shine like his mother’s.

 

“He doesn’t deserve to be like me,” Roger whispers to the Voice, ignoring it for a moment. “He deserves to be a normal boy. He deserves a normal life.”

 

The Voice doesn’t answer him, it never does when there is something that Roger needs. It doesn’t tell him that Ace will be their next attempt to change the world or that he isn’t just as affected as Roger is by the pain of others. It’s not what Roger wants. He wants answers and to be told what is going to happen to his son. He doesn’t want this for Ace.

 

The screaming doesn’t stop.

* * *

Edward is old, he doesn’t admit it often, not even to himself, but he is old and he is only getting older. And in this case, he is far too old to be dealing with this again after so many years, but Rouge needs his help and he can’t tell her that he won’t be there. They are friends and he is one of the few people that will help her with this.

 

“I know you’re there, son,” He says finally.

 

Izo must startle because it takes several minutes for him to appear, “Pops?”

 

“I was certain that I asked you all not to get involved with Roger.”

 

“But a woman believed to be his wife, his old charity, and a young man who might be his son are all fine?” Izo counters, crossing his arms over his chest. “What is going on? And how did you know I was here?”

 

“I can’t say.”

 

“Can’t or won’t.”

 

“There are always reasons for secrets, son. Some reasons are better than others and some mean nothing at all. In this case, it’s for a good reason and I must ask you to stop trying to find things out because they can ruin another’s life.”

 

Izo frowns, “Marco knows something I don’t, doesn’t he?”

 

“Marco knows a lot of things that you don’t, son.”

 

“This is what he gets for being the oldest,” Izo sighs. “I’ll stop following you on your weekly visits. How did you know I was here?”

“What do you know of Roger’s powers?”

 

“Nothing, something about a voice, I think.”

 

Edward nods because that is what little everyone seems to know about Roger’s powers now, when they weren’t told that he was suffering from some kind of mental illness. Honestly Edward has been to court too many times because Roger might be a killer, might have murdered people in cold blood, but his depression wasn’t what had led him to commit those murders.

 

“The Voice of the World,” Edward says slowly. “Is what it’s called. It’s an actual power, not a mental illness. We had to get Roger tested when the case went to court. It lets him hear the world and everyone in it.”

 

“Hear?”

 

Edward frowns, “It’s complicated but that is how Roger describes it. He did what he did because the Voice told him to do so.”

 

“He-he did?”

 

“Roger has never explained why the Voice asked him to or the circumstances, but that’s what he told us since his arrest. He can see and hear things, he let me know you were there by asking about the kimonos. I never told him what you wear.”

 

“And about Ace?”

 

Edward hums, “About Ace indeed.”

* * *

 

Rouge leans against the door frame to Ace’s office and sighs at the sight.

 

Ace is slumped over his desk, arms crossed underneath his head and his paperwork wrinkling as he tries to hide his eyes from the light spilling in from the streetlights outside. It’s a familiar enough sight that she doesn’t have to close her eyes to imagine Roger doing the exact same thing in the exact same office. Her son and his father, her husband, are far too similar sometimes. Too much so for their own health.

 

“Shanks, what are you doing here,” She asks finally, not bothering to look behind her to see him.

 

“A man needs a reason to visit his dear friends?” Shanks asks cheerfully, sighing when it falls flat. “Edward said you were worried about Ace.”

 

“I’m always worried about Ace,” Rouge says calmly, keeping her tone even. “You haven’t visited any of those times.”

 

Shanks flinches at the rebuke because it is true, Shanks has kept his distance no matter how much Rouge has asked him to stop by or tried to stay close to him. She had cared about him and he had left her almost entirely alone with her son and a failing organization in the wake of Roger’s incarceration.

 

“The last time I tried to talk to him, that little firefly of yours tried to burn off my other arm.”

 

“You did say he was the carbon copy of his father, he hates the comparison,” Rouge states closing the door to Ace’s office. “But you knew that before you came to visit us then. What is wrong, Shanks?”

 

“The old man, old man Whitebeard that is, went to visit Roger.”

 

“That is something he does every week, Shanks.”

 

“Roger says that he hopes that his powers didn’t pass on to Ace but there’s no way to be certain. I know element control runs on your side of the family, that’s why you thought that Ace having fire meant he was safe, but that … We might have been wrong. Some kids do get  powers from both side of their families.”

 

Rouge sighs, “He didn’t know?”

 

“No, I’m sorry Rouge. Roger is just as in the dark as the rest of us are. I’m sorry.”

 

“And we can’t test him. The results are suppose to be private but we all know that they’re open to the government and anyone that wants them. We would never be able to hide who Ace’s father was afterwards. I assume Edward wants to avoid telling me himself?”

 

“No, Edward will probably be here tomorrow to tell you so himself, but one of his children is getting increasingly worried about Ace. Marco formally requested his dad make sure that Ace was alright, isn’t that cute?”

 

Rouge nods, “Edward says one of his other sons wants to lock them both in a closet. Sabo and Luffy have been complaining about how badly they are flirting with each other when they run around as vigilantes.”

 

“That’s adorable.”

 

Rouge wants to, for a long heartbreaking moment, keep talking about that. About her son in terms of happy things and his silly romance issues with Marco and Marco’s alter ego and how they’re both dancing around each other, but she doesn’t.

 

“You don’t have to be sorry. None of this is your fault. It’s, it’s not Roger’s either. Not really. You can’t help what powers you are born with, none of us can. I had, I had hoped that with Ace having powers, abilities, from my side of the family then it would preclude him from inheriting anything from Roger’s family.”

 

Shanks nods in understanding, “I’m still sorry, Rouge. Ace could just be tired of how hard he keeps trying to make a difference and nothing changes. The number of people needing help is constantly rising no matter what you or anyone else does.”

 

“I hope that’s why. I-I don’t want to lose another person to their powers. We lost Luffy’s mother and Roger both to them and now look at us. Dragon is so buried in his work that he forgets his son exists most days, Edward has stopped doing things that he use to love, and I don’t do much of anything beyond this.”

 

“You know it’s alright, Rouge-”

 

“I’m burying myself in my work and we both know it.”

 

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Shanks admits running his hand through his hair. “You seemed to need space after Roger was sentenced and I wasn’t going to force you to do something that you didn’t want to. You seemed alright when I checked up on you and with Ace at least you had a reason to keep from living entirely inside your head.”

 

Rouge tilts her head in acknowledgement, “That makes sense. Thank you for being there for Ace when I couldn’t. Even after he threatened to kill you.”

 

Shanks laughs, “That little firefly is your kid, yours and Roger’s. I remember how you two met and I would be more shocked if he hadn’t threatened to murder me at least once when we met.”

 

“He’s such a good boy, I can’t believe that he’s so big sometimes.”

 

“You should take some time off. Take a trip.”

 

“Not until we know that Ace will be alright. I can’t leave my son when he needs me most and we both know that. He needs me and I’ll be here until he doesn’t.”

 

Shanks closes his eyes as the clock strikes the hour because he knows what is going to happen, trying to ignore the way the hand he has on Rouge’s shoulder sinks as she vanishes for a fraction of a second. This is what Roger had done for his lover, had made something grotesquely amazing with his powers.

 

“That’s why you stopped visiting, isn’t it,” Rouge asks finally. “To avoid seeing me.”

 

“You know that I care about you, but every time I see you, I remember what happened.”

 

Rouge hums, staring at her own hand, “I know. It’s something wrong, but it’s enough isn’t it? At least until my baby doesn’t need me anymore.”

 

“Ace is never going to forgive us for this.”

 

“I know.”

 

“I’ll talk to Rayleigh, he knew Roger as a child, he might be able to tell us something about how Roger’s powers manifested and what to keep an eye out for.”

 

“Thank you, for all of this. I appreciate it.”

 

Shanks nods, “Do Luffy and Sabo know?”

 

“I doubt that Luffy would notice anything that isn’t meat and Sabo might have noticed something strange about me, but he’s never asked and I haven’t found him anywhere he wasn’t suppose to be.”

 

“And,” Shanks swallows. “Your flowers?”

 

Rouge taps the hibiscus in her hair, “They’re still going well. I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about, there’s more than enough left.”

 

“I’m sure you know best.”

 

“I would. Have a good night, Shanks, I still have work to do.”

 

“Good night, Rouge.”

 

Rouge steps into her office and closes the door behind her. The hibiscus bush taking over the room was still growing taller and covering more than half of the floor, flowers bright and glowing faintly. The chair was long gone, replaced by a twisted amalgamation created by the roots and she sits down on it, staring blankly at the picture of Roger and herself when they were younger.

 

“This is just as much your fault as it is mine,” Rouge whispers.

 

There is a hole in her chest, literal and figurative. One from the loss of her husband and the other from where Akainu had burned through her because she had been in the way.

 

Roger hadn’t forgiven the response from the Council and taken revenge into his own hands after using his ability to somehow tie her life to the very first plant that she had ever grown. He had been caught trying to kill Akainu, already have blown his way through a number of weaker heroes trying to track him down.

 

Once upon a time, Portgas D Rouge had controlled and created nature, nurturing plants and growing them to epic lengths, and now her life clung to her first creation, made when she as just a  little girl, because it grew her favorite flowers.

 

“I miss you,” Rouge whispers to Roger’s picture. “I miss you, Roger, but you never should have done this.”

* * *

Ace groans when he wakes up, back aching and his eyes gritty in a way that means he didn’t sleep anywhere near as well as he should have. He blinks the room into focus and already knows that he’s going to regret his choices as soon as he stands up because this is his office, not his bedroom.

 

Actually, Ace winces as he sits up and his back cracks, Ace isn’t sure he remembers when he last slept in his bedroom. His mom could have sold all his furniture and he wouldn’t even know.”

 

“You look like death,” Sabo states when Ace finally forces himself to go downstairs, following the siren’s call of coffee and bacon drifting up to him. “Did you stay up late with Marco?”

 

“Enel broke the diner we were gonna have dinner at,” Ace yawns trying to find his mug and staring blankly when he found it in his hand before pouring coffee into it without even thinking about how it got there.

 

“Ah,” Sabo nods in understanding. Enel was known for prolonging fights to make his opponents suffer or to prove some kind of point, Sabo had heard something about a god before Luffy had beaten Enel’s ass a few months ago. “I was on the other side of town or I would have helped, not that they would have needed me, that’s Whitebeard’s patrol anyway. See Phoenix?”

 

Ace shakes his head, “I didn’t see much of anything. We ended up under the table to avoid Enel’s attacks and I took a nap and woke up,” Ace pauses as the memory comes back to him, face quickly turning red. “Drooling on Marco’s chest.”

 

Sabo laughs as Ace drops his head onto the countertop, his voice going up in a whines as Rouge rubs his back sympathetically, “I’m sure he won’t say anything sweetheart.”

 

“I drooled on him, mom! How am I supposed to talk to him after that? I covered him in my spit and not even in a good way!”

 

“Sweetheart.”

 

“Sorry mom.”

 

“If Marco likes you, then you won’t have to worry about what he is going to think. He won’t even mention it unless it’s to tell you that it was cute or to tease you. Calm down before you make yourself too worried. Come eat before we have to go.”

 

“I can’t eat bacon after that! I can’t believe this, Marco is never going to talk to me again!”

 

Rouge giggles, Edward would find this as adorable as she did. Their boys were so silly about things, Ace was just as over dramatic as Roger had been, “Oh, sweetheart, Marco will still talk to you. He likes you. He’s your friend and that isn’t going to change just because you drooled on him a little in your sleep.”

 

“I’m going to drown myself in coffee,” Ace says reaching for his cup before deciding to grab the carafe instead. “Just drown myself. Sabo, when I’m dead, Luffy gets all of my shit.”

 

“I should have known,” Sabo says smirking as Rouge wrestles her son for the carafe, her eyes glowing with laughter. “You love him more than me.”

 

Ace shakes his head, getting the carafe and standing on his tiptoes to keep it out of his mom's reach for a moment, “No, Luffy just knows what to burn and has promised to get rid of it before anyone else sees it. There are some things that I don’t want found.”

 

“Did you write Ace D Newgate on your notebooks?”

 

“NO!”

 

Sabo snickers, “You did!”

 

“I hate you both,” Ace mutters finally giving Rouge the carafe. “I’m going to hide in my room for the rest of my life and never leave.”

 

“But won’t you miss seeing Marco and Phoenix?” Rouge teases. “You like blonds don’t you, sweetheart? You can tell me these things, I’m your mother. Is that why you brought Sabo home all these years ago?”

“Mom!” Ace whines as Sabo chokes on his eggs, hunching over his plate as he gasps for breath, face turning unnaturally pale.

 

“Yes sweetheart?”

 

“I loaf you.”

 

“I’m not Trafalgar, darling. The use of bread loaf instead of loathe isn’t going to affect me. Now get up and eat, we have to get to the restaurant to finish up the big structural repairs and then put in the windows and the roof.”

 

Ace sighs lifting his head off the table, “Fine. But under protest!”

 

“You always protest, sweetheart,” Rouge says sliding a plate before him. “Eat all of that or I won’t let you go out to dinner tonight with your boyfriend.”

 

“I’m going to replace you both with buttons that when pressed say nothing but mean things and I won’t even notice you are gone,” Ace grumbles at his bacon. “Won’t even worry about you not talking to me normally.”

 

Rouge snorts, “You would miss us.”

 

“Maybe a little. You most of all mom. Thank you for breakfast.”

 

Sabo snorts, mouthing “Mama’s boy” across the table at Ace.

 

“I saw that Sabo.”

 

“Sorry ma’am,” Sabo apologizes quickly pulling a face when Ace sticks his tongue out at him, “I won’t do it again.”

 

“You say that every time and yet it keeps happening. Should I be worried about how bad you memory is? Do you need me to take you to a doctor for it?” Rouge asks.

 

Sabo shakes his head, “No ma’am.”

 

“And how is Koala?”

 

“Fine? Why do you ask?”

 

Rouge smiles and it’s so much like Ace’s when he’s planning something that chills go down Sabo’s spine, “I was wondering what she would say if she knew you were teasing poor Ace over nothing. After all that it took for you to finally ask her out.”

 

“You wouldn’t.”

 

“Mom would. Remember when we were nine and she said if we ate the pudding we couldn’t get any for a year?” Ace asks finishing his breakfast and snagging more bacon.

 

“You would,” Sabo sighs. “I’ll stop.”

 

“Good, now have some more bacon before Ace eats it all.”

 

“Do you want some, mom?” Ace asks.

 

Rouge shakes her head, “I’m fine. I ate before either of you got up.”

 

“If you’re sure?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

Ace nods, shoving another strip of bacon into his mouth and dropping a few more onto his plate, keeping the rest of the bacon from Sabo, “All mine. People who tease me aren’t allowed any bacon.”

 

Rouge sighs as Sabo launches himself over the table and knocks them both to the ground, a vine catching the plates that they knocked over before they could spill over the floor, “Thank you,” She whispers to the peas, carefully putting the plate back on the table as they wrestled. “Boys!”

 

“Sorry mom!”

 

Rouge rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to the stove. This is what she got for having two children so close in age, Edward had warned her about this and she hadn’t listened. She had been too excited about Ace having someone close to his own age to be there for him when she would no longer be able to.

  
She hoped it would be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry not sorry. i offer the chance to come yell at me on tumblr, if case you don't want to do it here, [Click this!](http://wordsdrippinginink.tumblr.com/)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco makes his stance on things known and talks with the new volunteer some more. Sabo has a choice to make.

“You’re worried about something, aren’t you,” Marco asks finally staring at the stoplight instead of looking over at his father in the passenger seat. “After what I said.” He doesn’t wait for Edward to answer. “Since Ace is Roger’s son.”

 

“How long have you known,” Edward asks after a long moment, the light still red.

 

Marco shrugs, “I don’t know. I think, I think I’ve always known. Ace is Rouge’s son and she, none of you, have ever said anything about her relationship with Roger other than she loved him. Which- It doesn’t make sense for her to love him so much and somehow end up with someone else’s son.”

 

“Ah, you always were such a smart boy,” Edward says ruffling his hair. “Do you want an answer or …”

 

“I want to know if Ace is going to become Roger. I don’t care about why you kept it secret or about what’s going on with Rouge, I just want Ace to be okay.”

 

“Son-”

 

“You don’t know then,” Marco says dropping his head onto the steering wheel, ignoring the green light as Ice Man slid down the street with Red Hair grinned manically from the far end of the street, eyes glowing behind his mask. “None of you have any idea.”

 

Edward tips his head in acknowledgement, “We have one more person to look at for answers, it’s just harder to find Rayleigh unless he wants to be found.”

 

“I see,” Marco hits the gas, spinning the wheel to avoid the spear that Ice Man threw, wheels squealing as he rights them. “I hate waiting for him to finish his fights.”

 

“A warning next time, please,” Edward asks holding the handle above his door. “My heart isn’t as good as it use to be.”

 

“I won’t abandon Ace because of this. I won’t leave him, he’s too important to me and I refuse to watch him fall.”

 

Edward hums, “It only gets harder the more that the Voice takes hold. The more that Ace loses his ability to hold it back and let’s it’s words become what he listens to over all else. He’ll be a shadow of himself.”

 

“Than I just have to hope that I’m enough to keep him here,” Marco says calmly, his knuckles white where is grip is too tight. “Ace is too important to me to let him go without a fight.”

 

“And if it’s not enough?”

 

“Just because you had us and your job doesn’t mean that I won’t give up everything to make sure that Ace doesn’t become Roger. He’s important to me. He’s important to us,” Something in Marco’s voice rings with something that reminds Edward of the Phoenix that his son became. “We would do anything to keep him.”

 

“Than I wish you the best of luck,” Edward states glancing out the window and ignoring the pain in his chest. He hadn’t expected that answer.

 

It’s not something that they talk about, that anyone ever brings up, but it’s known that Phoenix is old. Older than most heroes and villains, older than the Government and its agencies. Marco might not remember all of it clearly, but he’s been alive for longer than anyone can claim. Dying and being reborn different over and over, always slightly different from the time before. That once, when Marco had had a different name, he had been one of the heroes kept and franchised, used to propagate the fanatical worship of them.

 

And when he had died, Edward had found the crying baby that had taken his place and taken him in. Because the body was different and the personality changed, but Phoenix was immortal. Edward has never understood it, but Marco is his son and he will support him to the best of his ability.

 

“He’s, he deserves to be happy,” Marco says when they park, watching Ace for a moment before glancing at Edward. “I just want him to be happy, is that too much to ask? To want for him?”

 

“Of course not,” Edward promises. “It’s not too much.”

 

Marco nods, taking a breath and closing his eyes before smiling and tilting his head, “Wish me luck.”

 

“Always,” Edward promises with a grin.

 

Marco’s smile looks more real as he climbs out the door, walking unhurried to where Ace is kneeling down beside one of the kids painting the back room and talking quietly in what Edward can only assume is instructions about what they are doing. 

 

Rouge waves as he approaches, taking her time to extract herself from her conversation, her foot tapping softly as she tried to look like she didn’t want to rush over and demand answers from him. He can see the effort that it takes for her not to rush over to him, letting herself get pulled into conversations.

 

“You look tired,” She states looking at him for along moment. “Where is your cane?”

 

“I don’t need a cane,” Edward says sniffing. “I’m still young and spry.”

 

“Old,” Rouge teases. “Old and gray.”

 

“That’s just rude,” Edward states tugging on his mustache. “Good morning Rouge, do you have a moment to speak?”

 

Rouge nods, waving down one of the women in the building and pointing at her watch, “I’m good for at least an hour. Where are we going?”

 

“Not too far,” He says leading the way down the road and regretting the absence of his cane almost immediately, the old wound that had damaged his leg acting up.

 

It’s easy to keep up casual banter and avoid the long silences that had been more common when Roger had first been imprisoned, back before they had known each other well as anything other than Roger’s lover and Roger’s dear friend.

 

“How is he,” Rouge asks when the waitress leaves them, fiddling with her silverware.

 

“As well as can be expected. He didn’t have much to say about how he was, he never does.”

 

Rouge nods, “I see.”

 

“He said he was proud of Ace. That he’s a good boy taking care of his mother,” Edward smiles distantly as the waitress drops off their coffee and promises to bring their meals as soon as they’re done. “He says that he is fine. I thought you would like to hear that.”

 

“He’s always fine, even when he landed himself in trouble,” She mutters spinning her cup in her hands. “And about Ace?”

 

Edward ducks his head, “He doesn’t know. He said that the voice was loud and that he hopes that it’s not, but he didn’t have anything else to add to that.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Rouge?”

 

“What are we going to do,” Rouge asks finally looking up at him, her eyes damp with tears. “I can’t lose him too. I can’t lose someone else not like that. There has to be some way to help him if he does end up like his father. Something that will help, that will keep him from Roger’s folly.”

 

“We have time. We’ve noticed early, if it’s the same thing as Roger, than we have more time to set up a support network, he has people that will drop everything for him.”

 

Rouge raises an eyebrow, “Does he?”

 

“Marco has already said that he will do anything to help Ace because Ace is theirs.”

 

“This has something to do with how you gained custody of Marco, doesn’t it?” Rouge asks calmly.

 

“A bit,” He admits. “But he won’t let Ace fall like Roger without a fight. He wants to keep him,” Edward snorts. “For all that he still hasn’t noticed that Ace is the young man that he flirts with on patrol.”

 

Rouge takes the out for what it is, anything Edward is sure to avoid thinking more on losing Ace like she lost Roger, “Ace seems just as oblivious. Edward, thank you, for helping me with this.”

 

“Of course.”

 

He doesn’t say that it’s for failing Roger or that he swore to help Rouge when they had been both reeling from Roger’s crimes and Ace had been nothing but a baby, he doesn’t have to. It might be how they had started their friendship, but it’s more than that now, he wants Rouge to be happy for her own sake, not just because he promised Roger to make sure his wife was alright.

 

* * *

  
  
  


“Do our parents go out to breakfast often,” Ace asks refusing to look at Marco, his arms crossed over his chest as he frowns in the direction that they had both vanished. It was cute how concerned he was over his mother, Marco had always thought so.

 

“They aren’t dating.”

 

“No, I know that. Mom is still too in love with him,” He sighs and Marco understands the feeling, if he didn’t know better he would say that his father had the same problem. “But they are still suspicious.”

 

Marco hums thoughtfully, “Maybe they are gossiping?”

 

“Your dad gossips?”

 

“He is an old gossipy man, it comes with old age, I assume,” Marco says grinning at the smile his comment draws from Ace. “Are you busy tonight?”

 

“Busy?”

 

“Our dinner was interrupted, I owe you another one, unless you are busy, I was thinking we could go tonight?”

 

Ace finally looks at him, “Even after last night?”

 

“You didn’t have the diner attacked, did you?” Marco teases.

 

“When I feel asleep on you,” Ace corrects. “I kind of-”

 

Marco laughs, “This is about you drooling on me, isn’t it?” He rolls his eyes when Ace looks away from him, blush creeping up his cheeks. “You were sleeping, you can’t control yourself when you’re sleeping. Besides, you were cute.”

 

Ace makes a quiet noise that reminds Marco of a squeak before he mutters something about having to get back to work and hurrying away.

 

“That’s not an answer!” Marco shouts after him, ignoring the looks thrown his way and turning his attention back to the boy from the day before.

 

“Are you flirting with Ace?” He asks nose wrinkling.

 

“I think so,” Marco agrees grabbing his roller. “Why, is that a problem?”

 

He shakes his head, “Just weird. I’ve never seen people flirt like that before.”

 

“My brother and his boyfriend flirt like this. And they’re very in love with each other, it’s like walking into the mushiest romantic movie that you’ve ever seen,” Marco says grinning. “And I don’t think Ace’s noticed.”

 

“Why not? You asked him on a date!”

 

Marco shrugs and thinks about his words carefully, “Ace doesn’t always realize that people like him, even when they do. Don’t tell him that I said that, he will deny it.”

 

“Okay!” He pauses. “Mom says that I only have a few more hours left before I’m done with my community service. Can, does that mean that I’m not allowed to volunteer on my own?”

 

“You can volunteer on your own, that’s how some of the older kids started. Ace would drag them in for community service and they came back afterwards. Not all of them, but quite a few of them did.”

 

“And you?”

 

“What do you know about Oro Jackson?” Marco asks him instead of answering.

 

The kid frowns, his brows scrunched together in thought, “I- I know that mom and dad almost didn’t let me take Ace’s offer. They were arguing about it for ages and even talked to people about me doing my hours for them, but I guess Oro is the only one with that program?”

 

“Ace has a family friend in the Government who has this idea that kids will be kids, so when Ace approached him with the idea of taking kids in to do community service instead of jail time, he took it to his supervisor. They approved it, but the Oro is the only one with that program, the other agencies were offered the chance to join too, but they said no.”

 

“Oh, and none of them changed their minds?”

 

“Nope. But the issue with your parents is probably the founder of Oro Jackson.”

 

“Isn’t Mrs. Rouge the founder?” He asks in confusion, looking at Marco for an answer.

 

Marco shakes his head, voice lowering, “Oro Jackson was founded by Roger D Gol.”

 

“The Hero killer?”

 

“I suppose that’s what they call him now, don’t they? But he made it to help people who weren’t able to get the assistance from the government when the fights damaged their homes and businesses. When he was arrested, the Oro was placed under investigation, when it was cleared Rouge took it over and made it her own.”

 

“And that’s why they didn’t want me to work with them?” He says tilting his head. “That’s weird, it’s not like Mrs. Rouge did something wrong.”

 

“People think that Rouge did something wrong because she was the second in command when Roger ran the Oro.”

 

The kid tips his head to the side, “That’s silly. You can’t control someone else. Like when,” He pauses. “Dad cheated on mom once, it wasn’t Mom’s fault, she didn’t have to control dad and make sure he didn’t do something wrong. It’s dad’s fault.”

 

“People aren’t always as smart,” Marco says with a shrug. “But you’re right, it’s not her fault. She and Ace just have to suffer through it.”

 

“That’s not cool, it’s not Mrs. Rouge’s fault.”

 

“No, but sometimes people don’t care about things like that.”

 

“Care about things like what?” Ace asks curiously, his eyes narrowed at them both. “I need you to on the wall in the back, unless you are too busy?”

 

“We can get it,” Marco promises. “Come on, we’re finished here anyway.”

 

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

 

The kid grins at Ace looking like he was excited about something, far different from the split second of guilt that had crossed his face, “I wanted to see if Marco knew if I could still come after all my community service hours were done! He says that I can, I can, right?”

 

“Sure,” Ace grins back. “You have to have your folks say it’s alright, but otherwise you are more than welcome to come back and help whenever you want.”

 

The kid asked Ace a couple more questions before Ace ushered them to the back wall with a grin and a promise to bring a regular volunteer form for him tomorrow.

 

“That was sneaky, kid.”

 

“Toma,” The kid says grinning. “My name’s Toma.”

 

“Well, good job Toma. I don’t think I’ve seen Ace so easily distracted since his brothers replaced the paint with melted marshmallows a few years ago.”

 

“Marshmallows?”

 

Marco nods, “It’s a long story.”

 

“It’s not like we’re going anywhere,” Toma states with a shrug. “Please?”

 

“Alright, before we begin-”

 

* * *

  
  
  


Sabo bares his teeth when Kureha leads Roger into her office, her cigarette hanging from her lips but unlit, because she didn’t smoke no matter what the prison thought. Her bad habits lay more with the silver flask hidden in her coat.

 

“I’m giving you an hour with him,” Kureha states calmly. “You better have cleared out of here by then.”

 

“Thank you for the help, Kureha,” Sabo states watching Roger blink at him in confusion, his fist clenching with the urge to slam into his face. “Roger.”

 

“You’re Sabo,” Roger says after a long moment of silence. “I-I,” He frowns. “Ace is important to you.”

 

“He’s my brother,” Sabo says finally, crossing his arms to keep from hurting Roger. “I was raised by Rouge with him and Luffy, Dragon’s kid.”

 

“Because Dragon’s wife died,” Roger mutters almost to himself. “But you, why are you here?”

 

Sabo takes a deep breath, “I found something and I want answers. You’re my only option for an answer, unfortunately.”

 

“Answers?”

 

“Why do Ace and Rouge have death certificates?”

 

Roger sighs, “I knew someone would ask me about that some day. A-are you sure that you, are you going to regret learning the answer?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please don't kill me?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabo gets his answers and Marco finally says something about how much he cares.

“I need to know,” Sabo says finally, refusing to look away from Roger even though he wants to. It’s feels like when he was younger and he and Ace would fight, they look far too similar like this, their eyes sharp and focused. “I have to know.”

 

Roger tilts his head, something dark and very much like the pictures that Sabo had seen when the school had been teaching about the Hero Killer on his face, “Rouge adopted you.” It’s not a question.

 

“She’s my mom. The only one that I’ve ever had,” Sabo admits.

 

“How did, we hid them.”

 

Sabo nods because they had been hidden well, “It was an accident. I found them hidden in the records when Dragon sent to me search for something. Will you, can you tell me why?”

 

“Why should I tell you,” Roger moves faster than Sabo thought he could, hand clamping around Sabo’s wrist. “When I could show you?”

 

The room fades, something loud and almost screaming in his ears before it stabilizes around them, the only thing keeping Sabo upright is Roger’s grip on his wrist. The scene that appears is one that Sabo knows but hasn’t seen on that face.

 

It’s Ace’s office, newer and without the burn that Ace left on the far wall when he had been denied one of the government's grants for damage caused by Akainu and it’s not Ace behind the desk.

 

Roger is younger than he has ever been in the pictures that Sabo has seen, except the one that they had found hidden in a box in the back of Rouge’s closet. His mustache is larger than Sabo had thought it must have been, twirled around on of his fingers as he reads over his paperwork. His eyes are focused and rimmed by the same dark bags that Sabo sees on Ace every day.

 

Sabo hadn’t known that Roger and Ace looked so alike before now.

 

“Tired, dear?” Rouge steps through them like they are ghosts and Sabo can see the way that this will age her because Rouge looks so young. She’s barely at the higher end of her twenties and Sabo knows she looks slightly older than she is now because Roger’s trial and reopening Oro Jackson took so much out of her. “You’ve been up all night again, haven’t you dear?”

 

“It’s been a long night,” Roger admits softly, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing. “You’re going out today, aren’t you?”

 

Rouge laughs brightly, “We are going out today. It’s time for the sonogram, unless you don’t want to see our baby? I know you missed the last appointment because you were having so much fun with your friends.”

 

“It wasn’t fun, it was vigilante justice,” Roger says rolling his eyes. “It’s at twelve, isn’t it?”

 

“And you’ll be there? This is the last appointment before the baby is born. I do want you there since we both know it’ll be close if you make the birth,” She leans close enough to kiss his cheek. “Be safe and I’ll see you in a few hours. We’re going out to dinner tonight to celebrate your birthday, don’t forget.”

 

“Do we have to see all this?” Sabo asks. “This, does any of this have to do with what’s going on?”

 

Roger, the one holding onto his wrist, “This is the day that it happened. When it all began. We can speed up a bit, if you are feeling too bored.”

 

“This is almost exactly like watching Ace in the office,” Sabo hates having to admit that. “Except for the lack of fire. Ace always burns things when he gets upset by them.”

 

“We can do that.”

 

Sabo is expecting something like when they used to fast forward their movies and then hit play, except it’s more like skipping scenes, reforming with Rouge on a street that looks unrecognizable, but claims that it is 7th street in the downtown district. Not that the streets look recognizable after rebuilds. Who knows how many times the street has changed over the years.

 

“Watch i-” Rouge says when someone slams past her, freezing as she looks down at her chest, a molten spike spearing her through. “W-w-”

 

“Idiot,” Akainu sighs moving past Rouge as she falls to her knees, ignoring her as she gasps unable to breath. “Should have stayed out of the way.”

 

“She, why would he?” Sabo asks eyes wide with horror. “He just?”

 

Roger nods, his hand tight enough around Sabo’s wrist to bruise, “She died. And they, I,” He tilts his head as his past self appears, begging Rouge to respond. “Ace was revived later by the hospital, but he was given a death certificate before that. It took until after midnight, which is why his birthday is the first instead of sharing mine with me. Rouge died.”

 

“But she, she raised us,” Sabo says blinking back tears. “She is alive.”

 

“My powers are strange,” Roger says softly. “Terrible and horrible and all together unnatural. I fashioned myself a miracle and brought her back. Have you ever seen Rouge without her flowers?”

 

“No?”

 

“They’re tied together now, the flowers of Rouge’s favorite tree and her life,” The scene vanishes and they’re back in the medical bay. “Did I answer your question?”

 

“Is, is that why you started killing heroes?” Sabo demands wiping his eyes. “Because Akainu killed Rouge?”

 

“He’ll kill more. Akainu will kill anyone that gets in his way, he doesn’t care about people as long as he gets the villain that he set his sights on,” Roger tilts his head. “Or vigilantes. He believes in absolute justice, there is no shades of gray.”

 

“Is that why you started killing the heroes? Because of what Akainu did to Rouge?” Sabo asks feeling like his heart was breaking in his chest. “As revenge?”

 

“The hero system is flawed. The people are brought up believing that they’re infallible, that heroes are worth more than them. They kill and destroy as much as the villains do and because they’re licensed that makes it okay,” Roger answers. “My goal was Akainu, to kill him like he had tried to kill my son and did kill my wife.”

 

Sabo nods, “And, and they’re both okay? For now?”

 

“Ace is fine, he’s perfectly normal and alive the way that you are. Rouge is less so. As long as her tree is fine then so will Rouge be fine.”

 

“Like a nymph?” Sabo doesn’t mean to laugh as he cries, his hands both covering his face. “Why would you?”

 

“I didn’t know what I was doing, I-I still don’t, but I didn’t want to have Ace grow up without Rouge. I didn’t want to be without Rouge. It was selfish and horrifying, but I did it anyway,” Rouge shrugs his shoulders and leans back into his chair. “Di-did I answer your questions, son?”

 

“What?”

 

“You’re Rouge’s son, that means that you mine as well.”

 

“I’m not, I can’t be?” Sabo says in confusion.

 

“I think our time is up, son. Tell Rouge that you know, she worries about how you’ll react. Please tell her that you know.”

 

“But?”

 

“What are you doing here still, brat? Time’s up! Get going before one of the guards come past to check what’s going on,” Kureha states waving him off. “Get.”

 

“I’m going,” Sabo mutters darkly hurrying off before she snapped at him again.

 

Kureha raises her eyebrow, “Kids are just aggravating aren’t they?”

 

“I might not understand that,” Roger says calmly. “I haven’t even met that one before now. And I would be happy to see him and Ace both whenever they decided to visit.”

  
“Kids,” She snorts. “Come on, I’ve got to check you over and we have very little time to do so.”

 

* * *

 

Ace’s head aches, a throb just behind his temples that radiates towards the back of his skull, enough to make him want to close his eyes and lay on the cold tiles that they had just gotten down in the restaurant. He’s never had a migraine so bad before, not in his recent memory at least. 

It’s bad enough that he’s shocked by the sudden press of a cold hand against his forehead, leaning heavily against it before he even considers whose hand it is, the relief almost overwhelming. He blinks dazed at Marco for a moment before closing his eyes against the bright lights of the streetlights.

“Oh, Ace,” Marco says shifting slightly and blocking the light from hitting his face. “Is it that bad? We can put off dinner if you want to.”

“But we wanted to go eat together,” Ace mutters, pressing closer to the coldness, feeling so much better. “I can make it through dinner.”

Marco shifts, moving Ace’s head to rest against his shoulder, “Alright Ace, we can put it off. I would rather you take care of yourself instead of forcing yourself to go out. Unless you are going to insist?”

“We already put dinner off once,” Ace mutters, feeling embarrassed for half a second before the way Marco’s skin feels so cold against his skin makes him forget that part. “We can’t put it off again.”

“Your health is more important than our meals together,” Marco repeats, one hand pressing to the back of his head. “What do you want to do?”

Ace grumbles softly, words nothing more than sounds. Marco hums softly, rocking them slowly back and forth.

“Wanna go home,” Ace admits softly. “I’m sorry, Marco.”

“I’m the one insisting on taking you home, Ace. You don’t have to try and apologize when it was my idea. Think you can make it to my car and I’ll drive you home,” Marco asks. “Or do you want to stand here for another minute?”

“Stay here, it feels good.”

Marco snorts, “I’m glad you think so. Do you want to keep standing or sit? We could sit down if you like?”

“Sit?” Ace asks.

Ace’s head still aches but it’s less of a pain when he’s leaning against something cold and Marco’s skin is remarkably cold and it feels amazing. Ace could stay leaning against him like this for hours with the weight of his migraine less of an ache. He’s willing to do anything that Marco wants to keep feeling this cold.

“Come on, it’s just a little bit further away,” Marco says softly, Ace can almost hear his smile, the soft one that Marco uses sometimes for him as he walks backwards. “It’ll be a bit cramped, but I can turn the ac on in the car too.”

“Hm,” Ace mutters following him into the back seat of Marco’s car. “Thanks.”

Marco rubs a hand down Ace’s back, “I’m glad to help. Relax and when you’re feeling a bit better, I can take you home. Do you want me to stop at a drive through to pick up something to eat?”

“Don’t know. Don’t feel hungry when my head hurts like this.”

“I’m sorry about that, Ace. Do you want some medication? I might have something in the glove box.”

Ace shakes his head softly, “Doesn’t help. Mom has my migraine medication at home. They don’t- not strong enough.”

“Ah, well then, just relax then.”

Marco can tell that Ace is dozing off between the throbs of pain, the way he relaxes until he’s almost spilled across the top of him before tensing in pain, trying to hide his face against Marco’s neck better.

It’s cramped in the back seat of the car, Marco is far too tall to be laying like this and Ace isn’t that much shorter than him, but it’s better than standing out on the sidewalk while they wait for Ace’s head to stop hurting long enough to get him home and safe. And colder. Cold enough that Marco’s sure that even Ace, even Firefist, with their higher body temperatures can feel it.

“Thanks,” Ace mutters softly, all tired and relaxed like Marco has never seen him. “For letting me do this.”

“I would do anything for you,” Marco says before he can stop himself, the hand on Ace’s back curling into a fist. “You know that don’t you? That I would do anything for you?”

Ace is silent for a moment and Marco can all but feel his heart pounding in his chest, “You-you would?”

“I would burn the world for you.”

“I-I,” Marco hums softly, encouraging Ace to continue. “I don’t.”

“You don’t have to know what to say to that. I just want you to know that I would do that for you. I don’t care if you never return the sentiment.”

Ace whines softly into his shoulder, “I’m not. I don’t need the whole world to burn. I’ve never needed it to burn.”

“You’ve never told me what you did want, what I could give you.”

“I don’t know what I want. I know I don’t want the world to burn but I don’t know what I would want. Just, just not-”

“Not the world burning,” Marco says softly. “I understand. When you figure it out, will you tell me please?”

“I, you don’t have ta…”

Marco hums playing with Ace’s hair, “I don’t have to do a lot of things, Ace. I don’t have to do anything that I don’t want to, but I do want to. Do you understand the difference?”

“You don’t know me that well,” Ace mutters softly. “We, we aren’t that close.”

“No, we aren’t,” Marco agrees sadly. “But that doesn’t change what I said. You’re important to me and I would like to keep you, even if you never feel the same way about me. You’re my friend.”

“I want to be your friend. We are, we are friends.”

Marco smiles, “I’m glad that we’re friends.”

“I, I care about you too. Even if I don’t know what I would do for you.”

“That’s fine, Ace. You never have to know what you will do for me, I don’t mind if you don’t know. Okay?”

“Okay, but I do care,” Ace mutters. “I care about you alot.”

“That’s fine. Let me know when you are up to try and go home, sound alright?”

Ace hums softly, “Yeah, thank you.”

  
Marco brushes a too soft kiss to the top of Ace’s head, leaning back before Ace can feel it, laying his head down against the door, looking up at the sky outside as best he could. He hoped that Ace remembered this when his migraine vanished. If he didn’t then he supposed it was good practice for the next time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ace doesn't deal with emotions, but there's always someone to talk to and Sabo is not ready for this talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to minister-of-silly-walks for checking it over for me

Ace does actually mean to go to sleep when Marco drops him off at home after what feels like hours dozing sprawled across Marco's chest- _and what is he suppose to do when he sees Marco tomorrow? What is he suppose to say after that?_  Honestly thinks he is going to walk in and go to bed like he promised that he would, but-

 

_ "I would burn the world for you." _

 

He's never had someone say those words to him before. He's never even heard them said before except for the one time that his history teacher had been rather interested in Roger and said that Roger had admitted to wanting to burn the world for the love his life, Ace had spent the rest of the year avoiding the too searching gaze because of his last name. The name of the only woman that had ever been connected romantically to Roger.

 

Ace has suffered that suspicion his whole life.

 

Ace stares at his bed like he regrets everything before moving to his office, the throb still there but he stops long enough to pick up his pills and swallow three down with some water from the sink and hoping that they work. He wishes that they were more successful but he would rather have the hit and miss of that than nothing.

 

"You just getting in," He asks Sabo without looking up from the sink. He can almost hear the way Sabo, his brother, has been crying. Can almost smell the tears and confusion on him, which is something that always happens when he has a migraine, like his senses are enhanced even when they're not.

 

Sabo laughs and Ace can hear something bitter and hysterical in the sound, "I'm back."

 

"You headed to bed?"

 

They don't talk about it. They never do, about the job that Sabo has made for himself with Dragon and the horrible things that he sees, that he has to do to try and bring the heroes down from the inside. It's an unwritten rule. Just like they don't talk about the chance that Ace might become his father, even though it makes Sabo want to break something every time that it comes up.

 

"Yeah, after I tell Rouge that I'm home," Sabo agrees. "You just get in?"

 

"Migraine," Ace mutters and can almost feel the way that Sabo stops. "I'm fine, Marco got me home and I have my meds. I'm going to bed now."

 

"If you're sure," Sabo says slowly. "Good night."

 

"Goodnight," Ace mutters waiting until he hears Sabo's footsteps vanish upstairs, taking a deep breath and moving to the front door. He slides out the front door, already sliding his mask onto his face and stuffing his shirt into the mailbox, where it won't be noticed.

 

It's still hot outside, the muggy feeling of city trying to cool down from the heat of the day as the sea breeze starts to roll in from the coast line. Ace normally loves the feeling of it, except his head still hurts and he knows that his meds aren't working fast enough. There's a too strong throb as Ace scrambles to the top of an abandoned building as far from the center of town where the majority of heroes and villains wage their battles as it can be without leaving the city, too tired to use his powers to get up there like he would normally.

 

It's quiet. Not quiet enough to help Ace's head, but not the sound of sirens when fights start to destroy buildings or the crash and crumble of buildings that can't stand up to the power of a hero/villain brawl.

 

"What are you doing out here so late at night?" Phoenix asks, startling Ace. "I thought you stuck close to Strawhat and Gentleman. "

 

Ace mutters something, ducking his head to avoid Phoenix's gaze.

 

"Firefist?" Phoenix asks curiously, softly. "Is something wrong?"

 

"I'm fine," Ace mutters softly. "I just needed some time alone."

 

"I can leave?"

 

Ace shrugs, refusing to look at him.

 

“You look tired, Firefist,” Phoenix says softly sitting beside him on the edge of the building, just enough space between them to keep their shoulders from brushing together, ignoring the subtle way that Ace is trying to tell him to leave. “Are you ever going to get enough sleep?”

 

“I’m too tired to banter,” Ace mutters, trying to avoid this conversation. To make Phoenix leave until Ace is feeling better, feeling up to dodge the way that Phoenix seems to draw answers from him.

 

Phoenix hums like he's figured out something that Ace hasn't said, “And who has you bent this far out of shape? Has someone broken your heart? Should I kill someone for you? You can tell me if you need help with those things.”

 

“I- someone said they would burn the world to ashes for me. That they would give me anything that I wanted as long as I asked. Who, who says that?”

 

“Someone in love.” Phoenix smiles at the look that Ace knows is on his face. It's not even bitter, Phoenix's smile. He looks like he's happy that someone loves Ace and Ace doesn't understand because Phoenix has said many times that he likes Ace. Ace doesn't understand why someone would be pleased about that when they loved them too is strange to him.

 

“In love?”

 

“In love with you no less. I'm sure you would have noticed that at least. You're a smart man, you've always been.”

 

Ace can feel his heart beating too hard in chest, his hands shaking as he stares at them and he's not sure if it's the lack of sleep or something else that he doesn't know the answer to, “In, in love with me?”

 

“Oh, I think that your confessor might not have been ready for you to make that connection just yet,” Phoenix moves closer, leaning forward to catch Ace’s eye. “Did you not know?”

 

“We’re friends. He said we were friends and he would do anything for me. But if it’s only for love...”

 

“People don’t have to be in love with you to love you, Firefist. He can be a dear friend and love you so much that it’s hard to believe. Do you think it’s exclusive?" Phoenix smiles taking one of Ace's hands into his own. "You can love someone enough to burn the world to ashes for them and be nothing but friends. Loving your friends isn't less than loving someone romantically, just different."

 

Ace blinks at him, "My dad," And the words feel bitter on his tongue. "Tried to do that for my mom. It didn't end well. I don't want him to end up like my dad. I don't want to have to spend the rest of my life mourning him the way that I've watched my mom mourn my dad. I don't think I'm strong enough to do that."

 

"Some people are selfish in their burning. Have you told him how you feel about this?"

 

"I can't. I don't know how. He, he just promised me the world and I don't-"

 

Phoenix hums, "Look at me. If he loves you, than he won't be upset if you tell him that you have no desire to have the world burned to ashes. Your happiness is more important than what you might desire and if he can't see that than I will beat the idea into him for you."

 

"You like me too, you've said that before."

 

"That's true, but," Phoenix smiles, his hands squeezing Ace's. "I will always do what you ask, unless it means that you're going to die. I won't sit around and watch you work yourself to death," One of his hands goes to Ace's cheek, thumb brushing along the edge of his mask, "You should get some sleep."

 

"I can't," Ace admits. "My brain won't shut up and it hurts."

 

Phoenix nods, "You still need rest."

 

"I'll sleep when I'm dead," Ace mutters darkly.

 

"No you won't," Phoenix says smiling like he knows Ace and maybe he does, Ace hasn't ever figured out much about who Phoenix is when he's not being Phoenix but it might not be the same the other way around. "Let me take you home, I won't follow you all the way, but you need to sleep."

 

"I don't want to go home."

 

"Did something happen?"

 

Ace shrugs and doesn't answer because he knows that something is wrong, that Sabo is upset and if he went to see their mom, not just Ace's even though Sabo never calls her mom, he has questions and Ace, Ace has spent years pretending not to know things. Pretending that he doesn't _remember_.

 

"You can't sleep on a roof top, come on," Phoenix says moving from the ledge and tugging Ace up with him.

 

"Where are we going?"

 

"I have an apartment," Phoenix answers. "I never use it, I usually just end up going to my father's house and staying there, but it's mine and we can share it for the night."

 

"Aren't you worried that I'll find out who you are?"

 

Phoenix stares at Ace for a long moment, like he doesn't understand, "You would never hurt me."

 

"You-," Ace chokes. "You don't know that! I could be biding my time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike!"

 

"No, I trust you. And if you do figure out who I am, maybe you'll start flirting back more," Phoenix teases.

 

Ace smiles, normally he would laugh but it's all still too much and he doesn't want to. He can't bring himself to pretend that he's alright now that Phoenix knows that he's not, now that he's trying to take care of Ace. And it's strange, having someone that wants to care for him without knowing who he is.

 

Because Phoenix doesn't know Ace, he doesn't know about the rumors that follow him because of his father or the way that Ace is looked at because of the way people remember the Oro. Phoenix doesn't know any of that.

 

Phoenix knows Firefist, the vigilante that likes to beat people up and leave them tied to poles to be picked up and taken into custody. He knows the jokes and the way that he blushes when they flirt, but he doesn't know Ace and honestly, Ace is glad to have someone who doesn't know him. It's tiring being Ace D Portgas.

 

"Don't fall asleep on me just yet," Phoenix says softly. "You're a little too big for me to carry."

 

That's a lie and they both know it, but Ace nods anyway, following him over rooftops. Maybe he could finally sleep and worry about all of this in the morning.

 

* * *

  
  


Sabo stares at Rouge's office door like it's going to come to life and stop him, but it doesn't. It doesn't and Sabo is _afraid_. He doesn't think he's been this afraid in years, not since his first missions with the Revolutionaries and Sabo thinks that it's horrible to compare those days to walking into a single room.

 

He knows that Rouge is there, behind the door to her office, he always knows where people and things are, that's his power, but he doesn't want to see her. To see the hibiscus that he had always thought was so pretty and amazing and remember what Roger had done to ensure that Rouge didn't die the day that Ace was born.

 

Growing up the hibiscus had meant home and family. Meant that he was safe and loved and Sabo has never quite stopped thinking that, even now that he's fully grown. Except now, it's almost tainted because he knows what it means in reality.

 

"Thinking?"

 

Sabo startles, jerking his head up to see Rouge waiting in the doorway, her eyes glittering with laughter.

 

"I was-," He stops because Sabo doesn't know what to say. "Mom."

 

Rouge raises her eyebrow, "You've never called me that before." But she doesn't look upset. Doesn't look like she's going to tell Sabo not to call her mom. "What's wrong, Sabo?"

 

"Were, were you going to tell us?" Sabo asks finally, feeling like he's going to start crying again. Sabo had thought he was out of tears when he had seen Ace in the kitchen, but now, watching Rouge, his mom, smile at him, all Sabo wants to do is cry.

 

"Honey, are you okay?"

 

"You, you died."

 

Rouge pauses before she smiles, soft and sad, "I did."

 

"He said, he said that he couldn't stand to live without you."

 

"You saw him." It's not a question and Sabo doesn't know what to say to it for a moment. "How was he?"

 

"He called me his son. He said since you were my mom, since you adopted me, that I was his son too."

 

Rouge sighs, huffing a laugh, "That's Roger. He always says things like that. He use to say that all of Edward's children were his nieces and nephews because Edward might as well have been his brother. He wanted to have a big family."

 

"He said that he would do it again."

 

"Roger doesn't forgive. That's something you should learn now, Roger doesn't forgive and he doesn't forget. It's why he was so dangerous. Why he is so dangerous still and they keep him locked up the way that they do."

 

"You still love him."

 

"Loving someone doesn't mean that you can't hate them," Rouge says finally. "They aren't mutually exclusive."

 

Sabo nods softly, "I know that."

 

"But I doubt that's why you're here. Roger asked you to tell me that you knew, didn't he?"

 

"How did you?"

 

Rouge tips her head to the side, "Roger always said that secrets made life harder. It wasn't a secret that we were married and it's not a secret that Ace is our son, it's just that no one pays attention. Roger thought that telling people and letting them fail to make connections was better than lying. And," She smiles. "I'm your mom, he wouldn't want you to lie to me about anything."

 

"He says he didn't know how he did it."

 

"Roger's powers are strange. Hearing a voice that no one else can and being able to tie things," She waves at herself. "To an anchor to keep them alive isn't normal. Roger's powers have always been immeasurable."

 

"You," Sabo swallows heavily. "You're going to stay alive for a while longer aren't you?"

 

Rouge laughs, "Oh Sabo, I'm going to be around for as long as I can. I love you. You and Ace both. I'm your mother and I want to be there when you have all those milestones that you think are important."

 

"You're my mom."

 

"That's right, I've been your mom since you came home with Ace and even if you don't think that I'm your mom, that's fine."

 

"You're my mom," Sabo repeats. "I," He ducks his head. "I've always pretended that you were my real mom. That you and Ace were my family. I would rather have Roger for my father than to have my family as my family."

 

"Than I can be your mom," Rouge smiles. "It's fine to choice your own family. As long as they love you, isn't it better to love your family, to make your own family, instead of suffering with the family you were born with?"

 

"You, you are still gonna die."

 

"Oh Sabo, everyone dies. One day we're all going to die and I've been lucky to live this much longer. To have been able to see you and Ace grow up into such fine young men. If I die now, I can die happy."

 

Sabo blinks the tears from his eyes, "I don't want you to die, mom."

 

"I know, but it's a fact of life," She moves closer, wiping the tears from his cheeks. "You're a sweet boy but that's how it works. I love you."

 

"I love you, mom."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phoenix is explained, Ace knows far more than people give him credit for, and Rouge finally, finally tells people how she feels about them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya'll this is not getting happier and beginning to *regret* my choices

"Would you like something to drink before you lay down," Phoenix asks opening up the door to the apartment, his hand resting warm and heavy on the small of Ace's back, it makes him want to lean into it the touch and Ace doesn't know why. "Or something to eat?"

 

"Do you even have anything in this place," Ace mutters swiping his fingers through the dust layering the table by the front door, his lips quirking into something that's almost a smile. "Because I'm starting to believe the whole 'I live here but not really' thing."

 

Phoenix laughs and Ace feels like he's heard it somewhere before, like he's missing something, "No, I'm just trying to get you into my bed."

 

"Well, you could have just asked," Ace yawns. "Do you have anything to drink?"

 

"Should have some water and I don't think soda goes bad if you are more partial to that. Might have beer."

 

"I don't drink in costume."

 

"That's a smart rule, you should keep that rule," Phoenix smiles at him, ushering him towards the island and onto a stool. He barely waits for Ace to finish sitting before opening the fridge and shifting things around inside it. "Water?"

 

"Please," Ace mutters, head resting against the cold marble of the island, feeling for a moment like he's back in Marco's car. It's not as cold as it was there but something is similar and Ace can't put his finger on it. He's missing something he knows it. "Phoenix."

 

"Firefist."

 

"You know who I am, don't you?"

 

Phoenix hums, "Would you like the answer you want or would you like the real answer? There's a rather big need for the distinction."

 

"The real answer. The real answer is the only answer, isn't it?"

 

"Phoenix knows who you are, the person that we are normally, when we aren't a hero, he doesn't know who you are," Phoenix smiles at the look that Ace flashes him. "You want more of an explanation for that, don't you?"

 

Ace nods, blinking in confusion trying to make the idea make sense in his head, "How does that make any sense?"

 

Phoenix smiles and it's bittersweet, "Phoenix is my power, it's who we are. The man that I am when I'm with my family with the people that I love, he's not Phoenix even though Phoenix is part of us. Phoenix is immortal, he's not."

 

"Immortal."

 

"We live forever. We've been hero and villain. We've loved no one and everyone and so many men and woman and in between over the years. He will only love the person that he's fallen for, but we will love them and mourn their deaths and one day move on, like we always do when we burn this form out and are reborn into another."

 

"Phoenix are suppose to be reborn from fire."

 

Phoenix tips his head to the side, "That's right and when the burning is done, a baby is left in our place. Our powers will be the same, but that's all that will remain. Otherwise, we're nothing more than creating a new shell."

 

"That's sad."

 

"We don't mind. We find love and happiness," Phoenix's hand curls around Ace's cheek. "That's why we understand you can love more than one person, you can love someone and hate them so much that it burns. Love doesn't mean anything unless you want it to. Unless you both want it to mean something, it's not just one person's choice when it comes to romantic love."

 

Ace presses his cheek into the touch, "And if I asked for you to distract me?"

 

"I would do it," Phoenix admits, thumb tracing the edge of Ace's bottom lip. "But you wouldn't ask. Not like that, it's part of the reason that I love you, you would never ask that of me."

 

"I can't take advantage of how you feel like that. I care about you. I'm not sure if I love you the way you want me to, but I do love you. You're important to me and you will always be important to me."

 

Phoenix smiles, "I know. I still love you. I'll love you for a very long time even if you never return my love. But I also care about you," He goes silent for a long moment. "Will you tell me why you don't want to go home? Why you're alone like this when you should be with someone, anyone."

 

"My mother is dead," Ace mulls over the way the words sit on his tongue. The way they  don't taste like the ashes he had thought they would even though they burn. "She has been for my whole life, since before I can remember."

 

"I'm sorry."

 

"She's also at home right now talking to my brother."

 

Phoenix frowns, "I'm not sure that I understand the way that works. Can you explain that to me?"

 

"Mom was murdered and Dad brought her back. I think my brother finally figured out about it. I'm not sure how he missed it," Ace can feel the way his stomach roils and his hands clench his shorts. "One of my first memories is seeing a hole that went all the way through my mother's chest and let me see the wall that she was standing in front of."

 

"And your brother didn't notice?"

 

"He came later, mom adopted him when I was five. By then, she had learned to lock her door and to take care about who saw her changing. It's not public knowledge but there's enough people that know to make sure that nothing ever leaked to the press."

 

Phoenix strokes his fingers along Ace's cheek, "That sounds like quite the power that your father possesses."

 

"His power has nothing to do with bringing people back from the dead. No one knows how he did it. How he magically pulled mom back from death and I'm not sure if I hate him for it or love him for it."

 

"He must love your mother quite a lot to have done something that extraordinary for her."

 

"He would burn the world for her. I don't know why mom laughs when she says that, how could someone burn the world like that? Like it was worthless?"

 

"Not everyone devotes themselves to saving it the way that you do. You're something else, Firefist, no one would be half as devoted as you are."

 

Ace snorts, "Won't your other half notice all the hints you're dropping? About who I am?"

 

"One day, he'll realize that I'm not just talking like this because I like it, but he's got much going on in his life. Between you and his dearest friend and his family. We would give up everything to keep you safe from yourself," Phoenix says pressing a kiss to Ace's forehead. "All you would have to do is ask and we would do it."

 

"I'm not worth that much sacrifice."

 

"You're worth anything that we want to give you. You're worth the world burned to ashes or forced to fit the mold that you want to remake it into. You are worth our love and our friendship, anything and everything."

 

Ace knows that the sound he makes isn't happy, that it's not anything that can be mistaken for happy, but it hurts. It hurts that there are people who would give so much for him. Between Marco and Phoenix, Ace doesn't know what he's suppose to do because it hurts. It hurts so much that they both want so much for him.

 

"Firefist?"

 

"If you call me, if you say my real name, will he know it?"

 

Phoenix freezes, his hand still pressed to Ace's cheek, "Do you want me to say it? To prove that I know who you are? He wouldn't know, not as long as I whisper it. Would you," Phoenix traces his fingers along the bottom of Ace's mask. "Should I?"

 

"What is my name, Phoenix?"

 

"Ace, your name is Ace. Do you need me to tell you more? I know more about you if you want me to tell you more."

 

Ace shakes his head, "You- how long have you known?"

 

"A long time. For longer than you can imagine, but you're tired," Phoenix says softly. "You need to sleep and I would rather not have to carry you to bed. Not without your permission."

 

"You could take me to bed."

 

"Not like this. Not tonight and never when you're so distraught. If you ever agree to let me to take you to bed, you're not going to regret it, not like you would if I did tonight," Phoenix smiles. "Come on. Up."

 

Ace groans, shoving himself up and stumbling over his own feet, "I'm so tired, pretty bird."

 

"Giving me nicknames now, Firefist?" Phoenix whispers letting him leave heavily against him as they made their way down the hall to the master bedroom. "That seems like you might want to keep me."

 

"I care about you. I care about you and maybe I don't love you the way you want me to love you," He repeats. "But caring about you is important to me. My mom says that I care like my father does, with my whole heart and nothing less."

 

"You do. You might not remember him, but I do. He cares more than most people care to remember. He cares so much that he decided to murder people to try and keep all of you safe."

 

Ace whines and Phoenix kisses his temple, helping Ace onto the bed and kneeling to help him unlace his boots. He takes his time, slowly easing them from his feet and kissing his knee.

 

"Get some rest, you're going to have more to do tomorrow. You always take up so much more than most people could handle on their own."

 

"Phoenix," Ace mutters letting himself be tucked into bed. "I could fall in love with you. If I had the chance."

 

Phoenix brushes the hair from Ace's face, "Don't say things that you can't promise, Ace. I already love you, don't tell me things like that. I would wait for years if you said that to me."

 

Ace yawns, "Would you like to know his name? The person that wanted to burn the world for me?" Phoenix's hand pauses and Ace takes that as an answer. "His name is Marco and I've been in love with him for years."

 

Phoenix stays silent, carding his hand through Ace's hair until he was asleep, waiting for a long moment in the silence before smiling, "Oh, lovely we've loved you almost as long as you've loved us. Maybe one day we'll finally tell you that when we aren't wearing this mask. If only Marco could quit dancing around the issue, that silly boy."

  
  


* * *

 

Rouge taps her fingernails against her desk, staring blankly at nothing as the door opens, "You're suppose to knock."

 

"Maybe I did," She blinks and snorts. "Should I leave? You don't look pleased to see me after I came all this way."

 

"You haven't been here in years, Rayleigh. The last time that you came around was to warn me that you were going to take Ace and his brothers under your wing. Before that the last time I saw you was at Roger's trial."

 

Rayleigh tips his head in agreement, "I keep seeing you dead."

 

"You didn't see me dead," Rouge shoots back. "Shakky did and she still comes to visit me. She still talks to me like I'm more than a walking corpse."

 

"I can still see the wound in your chest."

 

Rouge snorts, "You're here for a reason and it's not to rehash an argument that we've had a million times on the phone or with Shakky delivering messages between us. Shanks said he would ask you about how Roger was when he became the man that landed himself where he is today."

 

"This is about Ace, isn't it?"

 

"I wouldn't be asking otherwise."

 

Rayleigh tips his head to the side in acknowledgement, "He seemed normal for a very long time. In fact, I hadn't pieced together anything was wrong until I was told that he was arrested for murder."

 

"In retrospect?"

 

"He got quieter. Frequent migraines and a penchant for talking of the end of the hero system."

 

"You don't know your godson very well, he's been saying those things since he was old enough to understand what the system did. And it's not just my son at stake," Rouge tips her head to the side to get a better look at Rayleigh's face. "Marco has stated that he would do anything to help Ace. Would give up anything."

 

"And that means that Edward has gotten more involved. I thought he was far too busy with the decline in health that he's been experiencing."

 

"A little hard when his oldest son has told him that he would die for mine."

 

"There wasn't anything to notice until you were killed, is that what you want me to say? That there was nothing to give away Roger's decent until he had already brought you back to life and started murdering heroes?"

 

"Is that the truth?"

 

"Yes."

 

Rouge nods, "Then that's what I want to hear. I want facts, Rayleigh, not what you think. Thank you for your help."

 

"You're going to do something drastic, aren't you?"

 

"Ace is my son, I would do anything for him."

 

Rayleigh sighs, "You were so much easier to talk out of things when Roger was around to suggest the stupidest things."

 

"Maybe I would still be if you had stayed. Thank you for coming to tell me this, Rayleigh, but I don't think that I need you for anything else."

 

"I won't apologize," Rayleigh states, still leaning against the door. "I left and I won't apologize for that. You wouldn't forgive me even if I did."

 

Rouge finally looks at him, really looks at him, "I would sooner kill you than to have you in my home for abandoning your godson. Roger trusted you, he expected you to be there for our son if he couldn't and you weren't. You didn't have anything to do with him until he needed training and we both know you only took Ace and Sabo because Luffy refused training unless they were trained too."

 

"It killed me-"

 

"I died. I'm dead, I have been dead since my husband's birthday twenty something years ago, but I have been there every single time my son has needed me. My sons because Sabo and Luffy might as well be mine too. I raised them, I'm the one that cared for them, that comforted them and listened to Ace cry his eyes out over the idea of becoming his father."

 

Rayleigh opens his mouth and Rouge keeps going. Keeps talking because she can't stand this man, not after so many years.

 

"I'm the one that is trying to care for and try to find any information that might keep my son from becoming my husband. I'm the one that has to live with the knowledge that my children will find out that I'm dead, I'm the one that had to watch Sabo cry his eyes out because he knows. He knows and he's heart broken. Don't you dare say that it killed you in any way," She closes her eyes. "Get out of my house."

 

"You always knew how to cut a man down," Rouge growls and Rayleigh sighs. "I'm leaving. If I remember anything, I'll let you know, good bye Rouge."

 

Rouge waits with her eyes closed for a long time, until the sun starts to filter into the room. She is outside and climbing into her car before she makes a real choice, already driving a route that she's long since memorized but never driven before.

 

The guards say nothing as they escort her into the building and to her seat, eyes fixed on the door and the man that she knows is going to walk through them. He looks older as he steps in, the starts of gray in his dark hair and his mustache well groomed and smaller than in the pictures she has at home. His eyes are still bright, still the same ones as the young man that had convinced her to go on a date with him almost thirty years ago.

 

"Rouge," He says breathlessly, dropping into his seat like his stings had been cut, his eyes wide. "Rouge."

 

"Hello Roger."

 

"Are you real?" He leans closer, one of his palms going flat against the clear barrier that separates them. "Are you-"

 

Rouge presses one of her own palms to match his own, "I'm real. I'm really real. It's... It's good to see you. There's a lot of things that we need to discuss."

 

"Anything. Anything you want," Roger swears. "Thank you, for finally coming to see me."

 

"Don't thank me. I didn't do this for you. I didn't do this for me either."

 

"For Ace, I know. I've met quite a few people who would do anything for your son. He's inspired so many Rouge, you must be so proud of him. He's a boy that you should be proud of. Both of your boys, him and Sabo both. You're an amazing mother."

 

Rouge sobs as her eyes burn with tears, "If only their father could have been around to help."

 

"I don't think they needed one, not with how well you've done raising them."

 

She does cry this time, because she hasn't felt like she was doing a good job raising their sons in years. Not when Sabo kills people on a regular basis and Ace was slowly seeming to succumb to the same thing that took Roger from her.   
  


"What do you need, Rouge? I will give you anything in my power."

 

"Tell me about the beginning of the end. Tell me all of it from your point of view before I lose Ace the same way."

 

Roger nods, "It's a long story, I hope you have time."

 

"All the time in the world."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace can't remember why that laugh tugs at his memory but he knows that it does and Luffy wants to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah, it's been a few months hasn't it? i apologize, things have been busy and i let this fic fall to the wayside. but have an update?

Ace pushes his face into the pillow and sighs as the light vanishes from his eyes, the cool pillowcase chasing away the last throb of his headache, the soft throbbing that would be easy to remove with some water and aspirin once he had finally convinced himself to get up. But Ace didn’t want to wake up just yet. He didn’t want to move from this spot, not even when he could hear the soft cadence of someone speaking in the distance, not loud enough to hear the words just enough to hear the rhythm of the sound.

 

It was relaxing. Ace couldn’t remember the last time that he had felt like this and it was enough to convince him to curl tighter around the pillow and refuse to open his eyes.

 

“I’m not being stupid,” Phoenix’s voice is instantly recognizable, but Ace can’t hear the other half of the conversation, probably over a phone. “He needed a place to stay the night and he’s trustworthy, you act like he’s not a safe person for me to be around.”

 

Who wasn’t safe, Ace wonders in confusion. Who- he stops and pushes his face deeper into the pillow to hide the soft groan that he releases as he remembers. Phoenix had brought  _ him _ home.  _ Ace _ was the one that they were talking about.

 

“I promise that Firefist isn’t going to do anything to hurt me. I’m not sure where you go this idea that he would suddenly try to attack me or harm me in some way,” Phoenix stops as if he has been cut off. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me so much. Now I”m going to hang up and you’re going to leave it be before I decide to take offense to what you’re saying. Thank you for the concern, but it’s fine, have a good day.”

 

Ace tries to relax and pretend to be asleep as Phoenix knock softly on the door, easing it open after a few moments of silence. Ace can feel Phoenix’s eyes on him, it’s enough to make him wonder if he’s going to see through his-

 

“I know you’re awake, Firefist.”

 

“How’d’ya guess?” Ace mutters peeking up at him to find Phoenix’s gaze directed at his back instead of his face.

 

“You were holding your breath,” Phoenix answers easily. “People don’t normally do that in their sleep. Did I wake you up? I thought that I was being quiet on the phone but I know that my temper was getting the better of me near the end of the call.”

 

Ace shakes his head, startling when his hand brushes his face to find his mask missing, glancing to where Phoenix was steadily looking away from his face, “My mask?”

 

“Check on the bed, you were still wearing it when I left you last night. I didn’t, I wouldn’t have taken it.”

 

Ace feels something in his chest relax as he scrambles to move things and finds his mask just like Phoenix had said, hidden in the bedding, quickly pressing it back to his face, shoulders slumping in relief. Phoenix might know who he was, but some part of Ace felt better knowing that he still had a choice to take off his mask in front of Phoenix when he was ready, not a moment before.

 

“Would you like breakfast? I went out and brought real food in case you wanted some.”

 

“Do you invite everyone you bring home for the night to breakfast?”

 

“Only the ones that I want to stick around.”

 

Ace laughs, burying his face into the pillow to muffle the sound as Phoenix grins in triumph, moving to sit on the edge of the bed across from him. Ace feels more at ease then he has in ages, like he has a friend that knows him and he can trust with everything for all that he doesn’t know who Phoenix is.

 

“Are you questioning my choices?”

 

“Yes,” Ace gasps breathlessly. “I question all of your choices.”

 

Phoenix hums, “Come on, I can’t let you leave my apartment until I feed you. Did you even eat dinner last night. I know that you didn’t eat lunch even though you promised that you would.”

 

“You know, if you hadn’t told me what my name was last night, I would be far more worried about how you knew that,” Ace yawns forcing himself up. “I didn’t, eat dinner. My migraine was too strong for me to eat. I have to apologize to one of my friends.”

 

“For what?”

 

“We were suppose to have dinner together, it got ruined by Enel and now my migraine, he must be tired of me cancelling on him.”

 

Phoenix smiles and Ace, without the migraine that has been torturing him when they had been speaking the night before, knows there’s something about it that is familiar. There’s something about that smile, about that curve of lips and the glow of eyes that are there in his thoughts. Something about it tugs at a memory but Ace can’t place it.

 

“What would you like for breakfast,” Phoenix asks stepping before the stovetop. “Your options are french toast or an omelette.”

 

“My, what talent,” Ace teases, hoping to keep that smile on Phoenix’s face. Hoping to have more time to figure out what was so familiar about that exact look. “Next you’ll tell me that you can cook a roast.”

 

“That is beyond my meager talents. I can, however, cook a steak, if that is an agreeable substitute?”

 

“I don’t know, seems a little pedestrian to me.”

 

“Than I suppose that I shall have to live without being able to cook my way into your heart. I have been foiled by not accepting all those offered cooking lessons over the years.”

 

Ace hums, watching Phoenix mix eggs together with a fork, “I can’t cook anything other than meat. My mom think that I’ll get scurvy if I ever moved too far away to come home for dinner.”

 

“My brother, the one that keeps offering to teach me to cook, says the same. Something about food poisoning as well if I’m not mistaken. Not that I could notice since I heal so quickly.”

 

It’s always been so easy to banter with Phoenix, even when he was too tired to keep his eyes open or when he was sick to death of his own head. He’s not sure if it’s because Phoenix is so friendly or because they have a similar sense of humor, but it’s fun. It’s fun and Ace has never had to think much while he does it. There’s just the easy back and forth that comes with their talks.

 

“Your pocket is buzzing,” Phoenix states, head cocked to the side. 

 

Ace jolts, fumbling his phone out of his pocket and quickly tapping the messages open to look over the long strings of gibberish from Sabo, his heart squeezing in his chest as he reads over the rambling series of words that carefully, so carefully dances around their mother, even when he asks if Ace’s seen their mother that morning.

 

“Did something happen?”

 

“I told you about my mother last night, didn’t I?” Ace asks looking up long enough to see if Phoenix nodded. “Gentleman seems to still be getting his mind around the idea. It’s a difficult idea to deal with, the idea that the woman that raised you has been dead since before you were born.”

 

“I’m sorry that you had to suffer that.”

 

Ace shrugs, tapping out a response, “I,” He sighs. “I grew up knowing that there was a hole in her, not just the one that my father left in her. It’s like growing up and knowing what your power is. You can hate it, you can want another, but you can’t change what has already happened.”

 

“That’s surprisingly realistic.”

 

“It’s easy to forget that you know who I am in the real world. I want to save the world, that doesn’t seem realistic to me.”

 

Phoenix tips his head in acknowledgement, “That’s true, I suppose, but it’s going to seem that way. People are always going to support heroes, they might be convinced that one or two are bad eggs, but in the end, they always want them around to keep them safe.”

 

“You would know, wouldn’t you?”

 

“Now you’re starting to understand. I’ve seen people as idealistic as you try and try and try and never once have I seen one of them win,” Phoenix glances at Ace. “I would like it if you did.”

 

“The most I can do is try and the worst that can happen is that I can fail, but just maybe, I can help someone see the truth and that could be enough. I don’t want there to be no heroes, I just. I want regulations and restrictions on them. I want them to be responsible for their actions. I want them to know that killing innocent people will get them in trouble.”

 

“That’s a far simpler goal than I would have thought you to have.”

 

Ace smiles bitterly, “I’ve had years to come up with it.”

 

“I’ve had centuries and never once have I thought to push for regulations and reform. You should be proud of it, I’m sure that if you ask, than you will have far more willing to help you once they know what you want to do.”

 

“They worry about me.”

 

“We worry about you. Now eat, you might not have work today, but I doubt that you’re going to sit around and do nothing when there’s probably piles of paperwork waiting for you at your home office.”

 

“You’re such a mother hen.”

 

Phoenix laughs, startled and surprised, “I don’t think I’ve been called that in a very long time, Firefist.”

 

Ace’s breath hitches in his lungs, heart stopping in his chest, because that sounds strikes a memory. A memory that he loses before he can fully grab it. He can’t remember who it was that laughs like that, not even as Phoenix bites backs the first part of his laugh, the shock of it ringing too loud in the kitchen. But it’s there in his memory, someone that Ace knows.

 

He wants to make Phoenix laugh again, to make the memory come back, to see if he can figure out who it must be that his memory is trying to make him link to the man that’s been so kind to him, that said he would give him anything, but Ace can’t get his brain to  _ work _ . He’s missing something and he doesn’t know what it is but he knows Phoenix, he knows him and that means he just has to match that laugh, that smile, the way his eyes glow behind his mask to the person that reacts the same way in Ace’s normal life.

 

“Firefist, are you alright?” Phoenix asks, startling Ace from his thoughts, leaning closer, hand cool and soft on his forehead. “You weren’t responding.”

 

“I was thinking,” Ace answers feeling like he’s missed something important. “I’m fine, it’s nothing to worry about. Just, I’m just tired.”

 

“Maybe if you ever slept you would stop being tired,” Phoenix sighs, hand sliding down to curl around Ace’s cheek, eyes searching his face. “If you’re sure that you’re fine?”

 

Ace nods, leaning into the cool touch, “I’m fine, unless you have aspirin hiding in this place?”

 

“You’re in luck, I picked some up at the store with breakfast,” Phoenix smiles holding up a small bottle of pills for him. “Would you like something to drink?”

  
  


 

“Thank you for breakfast, for everything really,” Ace says softly as he stands on the fire escape outside the bedroom window that Phoenix had shown him after he had asked how to leave unnoticed. “I appreciate it.”

 

“You’re welcome. Stay safe and if you need me, I’m sure that if you hang out on an abandoned rooftop long enough, one of my siblings will tell me that you are there,” Phoenix smiles. “Unless you want to stay and help me prank my brother?”

 

“I should probably check on mine since he found out about our mother, but rain check?”

 

“Deal. Go check up on him.”

 

Ace takes off, resisting the urge to linger on the fire escape and continue their little back and forth, taking off towards the rooftops to avoid the majority of the lower level hero patrols and the police. He’s not far from home, but he makes sure to take a longer path than normal, to throw off anyone that might try to follow him, before dropping down in one of the back alleyways near the house, edging out onto the main street.

 

He jogs around the corner and down the main sidewalk, waving to the older couple across the street, who wave back, probably thinking he went for an impromptu jog after shoving his shirt into the mailbox again, he pulls his shirt from the night before out the mailbox just to seal that thought in their minds, tugging it on.

 

Sabo is in his room when Ace opens the door, mind still racing because he still hasn’t placed where he knows Phoenix from and he still doesn’t know what to say to Sabo about their mother, hiding mostly under his blankets and dressed in the softest pajamas that he owns.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Ace asks dropping onto the end of the bed, staring at the ceiling because even the confusion he’s feeling can’t stand up to this. “Or do you want to curl up and pretend?”

 

Sabo sniffs, moving to press close to Ace, fingers curling into his shirt, “How long?”

 

“Have I known?” Ace asks, waiting for Sabo to know. “Always. Don’t tell mom.”

 

Sabo doesn’t answer, but Ace already knows what Sabo would say if he did and that’s more than enough. They both know that Rouge would be happier not knowing that Ace knew the secret that she thought that she was keeping from them and so they could keep pretending. At least for now.

* * *

  
  
  


Luffy knows there’s something going on.

 

He’s not stupid.

 

Ace’s getting migraines more and Traffy had looked concerned when Luffy had mentioned it to him they last time that they had seen each other. Not to mention that Rouge was talking to Old Man Mustache more than even before and she never talked to him that much, not even when Old Man Mustache wanted to give Rouge and Ace more money. And, and Luffy was sure that this was the most important fact, Ace had stopped eating like he normally did.

 

Which meant that something  _ horrible _ was going on and no one was telling him! That Ace was so worried that he couldn’t eat and that hadn’t happened in years, Luffy remembers that at least.

 

“You look like you are planning something,” Zoro states from where he’s leaning back against the wall of the warehouse that Franky had built them, looking far more relaxed than one would expect him to be. “Captain?”

 

“People are keeping secrets,” Luffy whines.

 

“Ah, are we going to do something about it? We could probably find out what’s going on if we ask Robin to look into it.”

 

Luffy frowns in thought, “I don’t know. Ace is keeping secrets and so is Rouge and Sabo and I wanna know because they’re my family. Family doesn’t keep secrets.”

 

“Than what should we try? You know something is coming,” Zoro doesn’t open his eyes, arms crossed over his chest. “You said as much the other day. We have to know what it is if we want to be ready.”

 

“But I want them to tell me,” Luffy grumbles. “They’re suppose to tell me.”

 

Luffy knows that’s a lie, they all know that their family is made up of lies. Like the ones that Ace doesn’t know his father and that Luffy’s is dead. That Sabo is Ace’s twin or that he’s just a year younger depending on who is asking. Luffy knows more lies about himself than he’s ever known truths, he has to know them for his own safety.

 

“If they don’t tell you soon then we don’t have much choice,” Zoro mutters as Nami hurries past with Sanji on her heels shouting about something. “We can’t get caught off guard.”

 

“I do want them to tell me,” Luffy mutters leaning into Zoro’s side. “Why don’t they tell me things? I’m trustworthy.”

 

Zoro shrugs, “That I don’t know, captain. Maybe you should ask them.”

 

“I should,” Luffy agrees, bouncing to his feet. “You’re right, Zoro! I’m gonna ask them now!”

 

“Have fun,” Zoro yawns, leaning back against the wall. “I’ll have Robin keep this mad house under control while you are with your brothers.”

 

Luffy grins, hurrying home, ignoring the people that shouted at him for running into the road or jumping over things that he shouldn’t be able to, making it to the house in record time. He takes the stairs three at a time, bursting into Ace’s office and frowning when he doesn’t find Ace there before hurrying to Sabo’s room to complain that Ace was missing.

 

“Wah?” Ace groans when Luffy slams the door open, Sabo muttering darkly, curling further into Ace’s side to avoid the light. “Lu?”

 

“Ace!” Luffy throws himself on top of him, grinning because now he knew that Ace couldn’t escape. “Tell me!”

 

Ace yawns, “Tell you? Tell you what, Lu?”

 

“You’re keepin’ secrets. Family doesn’t keep secrets, you promised.”

 

“It’s a long story,” Ace sighs, dragging Luffy off him and pulling him against his side, Luffy presses closer. “Sure you won’t fall asleep while I’m telling you it?”

 

“I can stay up, I wanna know all the secrets, Ace. I wanna know, They’re mine too.”

 

Ace smiles, “Alright.They aren’t happy secrets, Lu, you know that don’t you?” Luffy nods. “Alright then, where do you want me to start?”

 

“At the beginning.”

 

“Which one?”

 

Luffy frowns, “There’s only one beginning, silly. You told me that, Ace. Beginnings are beginnings, not middles!”

 

“That’s true. Alright, are you comfy? I suppose this story starts with a man that loved his wife far too much and a power that he didn’t know how to control,” Luffy nods, leaning closer to hear Ace speak, eyes wide as he listened, after all, maybe now Luffy would know all the secrets too. He could help keep them if he knew them.

 

Maybe he could help Ace and make it better, like Ace always did for him. Luffy wanted to help Ace. That was what family was for.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thatch worries about his brother, Rouge is a little lost, Ace is done with his best friend.

Marco doesn't understand Phoenix sometimes, doesn't understand the way that the creature, immortal and burning and unending, tries to converse with him. The sounds are like something he's heard in a dream, that sits on the tip of his tongue, never anything that he can use. It's enough to drive him mad because Phoenix knows something.

 

It _knows_ something about Firefist that Marco doesn't.

 

It burns because he thinks that it's important. That whatever the Phoenix is keeping from him could mean that he knows why Firefist is the way that he is. Why he was balanced so close to the edge last night when Marco found him. He would do anything to help him. To help any of their friends.

 

Marco wants to know more about his friends. About Ace and Firefist. Not to mention Strawhat, who is Ace's little brother, and what exactly went down with Ace's father beyond the distant memories he has from growing up during all of it. They've already made their stance clear on what they would do for Ace, on how they would stay by his side even if he lost himself to the same voice that had stolen his father.

 

"You're thinking too hard," Thatch states washing his hands. "You would think someone had killed Stefan with the way you are acting."

 

"No, no one is dead," Marco says watching Thatch start chopping up the vegetables he needed for dinner because apparently they needed to marinate, hoping it was distraction enough.

 

Thatch hums, "Or did the bird find something shiny?"

 

"Phoenix doesn't like shiny things."

 

It's a lie, for all that Marco acts like it's the truth. Phoenix likes things that glitter and things that are soft enough to be feathers. It also doesn't collect them for itself, they're for gifting to lovers and family and friends. Things to show that they care. Not that Marco shares them with his family, he's not sure how they react and he has enough to deal with, without that adding to it.

 

"I see," Thatch mutters. "Seriously, Marco, what is wrong? You're usually more put together than this and you look like you're about to vibrate out of your own skin if someone says the slightest thing wrong."

 

"I'm fine. I would have told you if I wasn't feeling perfectly fine."

 

"No you wouldn't. You told dad the same thing when you had Pneumonia and didn't want him to worry because he had a court case to go to. You ended up healing it, like you insisted you would, but it was terrifying to watch."

 

"Phoenix was still adjusting to this new form, it was fine after the fact and that's all that matters. There wasn't a chance I was going to die and I told you to stay out of my room."

 

Thatch frowns at him, "You're my brother, I wasn't going to leave you alone when I could be there to help you. You know that I couldn't do that."

 

"Of course not," Marco says softly, his chin resting on his hand as the Phoenix coos.

 

Phoenix adores their family, all of his brothers and sisters, just there for them. Phoenix is singular, there's no records of anything close to Marco's powers, and it's been lonely many times. Treated as both monster and deity, Marco's learned, since he alone is allowed to read the files written about Phoenix, even though the Marines know that Marco is a vigilante. They can't stop him, can't force him to pay them any mind, because they can't legally stop Phoenix from reading about his predecessors. They had signed too many contracts with Phoenix that it was impossible.

 

"Dad says that you might be quitting your job."

 

Marco hums softly, glancing out the window instead of looking at Thatch, "Did he?"

 

"He said we had to ask you if we wanted details."

 

"Oh?"

 

Thatch sighs, "You love your job, Marco. Why would you be quitting? Did they decide that you weren't working enough? Were you taking too much time off?"

 

"I'm on contract and I haven't fallen behind in my work. They're not threatening me with anything and they weren't upset with me taking time off to help Ace. It has nothing to do with the company not liking me."

 

"Then way?"

 

"Someone I know is having trouble," Marco answers honestly, finally looking at Thatch instead of away. "They're, there's a chance that it can get worse and I promised that I would be there for them if they needed me. If they take that turn, I've already arranged to quit with little notice."

 

"Who-?"

 

"It's not my secret to tell. I'm sure you'll figure it out quickly after I have to quit, but if you haven't been told yet then you don't need to worry about it," Ace would never want to have his secrets told. Marco knew that. "They would never forgive me telling."

 

"Would it kill you?"

 

"No. No, it wouldn't kill me, but then again, not much can kill me."

 

"You can still die and if it's an illness-"

 

"Not that kind of illness. And that is the only thing that I'm going to say. You're welcome to try and guess things on your own, but I promised to say nothing."

 

Thatch frowns, but Thatch always gets upset when he finds out about things like this. He's never been good with secrets and he would try to beg and plead if Marco didn't say that he had promised. He had as good as promised.

 

"They wouldn't want you to throw your life away for them."

 

"I make my own choices, Thatch and I want to do this for them. I want to be there for them and I decided to make sure that nothing will stop me. It's not like I've needed the money, not with the investments that I've been making."

 

Thatch looks like he wants to argue more. Like he has more to say and wants Marco to listen to him for once instead of shoving his concerns aside, but he doesn't say anything for a long, lingering moment.

 

"Izo says you invited Firefist to your apartment last night. That you have him in your place. You don't even let us come to visit you there and you let someone else in?"

 

"It's my retreat away from this insanity," Marco teases, making sure to act the way his brother expected. "And besides, he won't know that it was me, at least this version of me. I don't have anything personal there."

 

"But still, you finally got him all alone. What's he like?"

 

"He's sad and tired. It was a bad day for him and he needed a friend, so I was his friend. He's, he was looking better when he finally left. Was even smiling."

 

Thatch nods thoughtfully, "That's good. I'm glad."

 

Marco smiles, "Me too."

 

* * *

 

Rouge closes the door to the house softly behind her, taking care to keep quiet. It's strange to come home and find the house like this, all but silent besides the tick of an old clock in the living room. Normally the boys where tearing through the house, or music echoed from Ace's office as he tried to focus. She couldn't remember the last time it had been so unnaturally quiet.

 

"Mom?"

Rouge startles, her hand pressing to her chest as she spins to find Ace standing in the hallway that led to their rooms, hand scrubbing over his eyes, "Ace?"

 

"Sabo said that you weren't home, but he didn't know where you went. Are you okay?" Ace yawns, rolling his shoulders and shaking his head. "You've been crying."

 

"I went to visit with someone that I haven't seen in a long time," Rouge says slowly. She doesn't want to lie, not to her children, but the truth wouldn't be much better then a lie, might upset them more. Roger always upset Ace. "It was nice and I was glad to see them. I ended up crying."

 

Ace nods, too tired to ask more, Rouge is sure. He was always full of questions about everything, there was no way that he would let this slide.

 

"Sabo was upset, he's still asleep with Luffy. Do we still have coffee? I need to get up and start on my work."

 

"You can take the day off. No one will say anything if you aren't at the site today, you haven't missed a day for anything but sickness or meetings. We can afford to let you have one day to yourself."

 

"It's fine, mom. I," Ace pauses and there's something on his face that Rouge doesn't recognize. That she doesn't understand. "I have to go today, there's someone I need to talk to."

 

"About what?" Rouge asks.

 

Ace smiles, it's stilted, but real for once, "Nothing you need to worry about mom. Do you want breakfast? I can cook up something."

 

"I'll cook, you can go lay down on the couch while I make something. And don't you dare think about sneaking up to your office to try and finish some of your paperwork. It'll keep until tomorrow at least."

 

"You're bossy," Ace mutters.

 

"I'm your mother, I'm suppose to be bossy. Go. Relax until breakfast is ready."

 

Ace darts forward to kiss her cheek, grinning boyishly, "Thank you mom."

 

She watches him stumble to the living room and collapse on the couch, the tv turning on and breaking the silence, even though Ace keeps the volume down as the news reporters talk about the latest skirmish between Redhair and Shiki.

 

Roger had told her everything. Had spoken about the Voice and what he had learned about it, what he could and couldn't do, but he didn't know much. He didn't have everything and he didn't know everything about it. Couldn't test some of it, since he was locked away by the Marines and unable to, unwilling to, escape. And he _could_ escape.

 

Roger admitted that he could walk out of the building at any time if he so pleased, because the Voice would be able to get him out and get him safely to somewhere he could hide. Where he wouldn't be noticed by anyone. Not until the Voice demanded something and Roger drew attention to himself once more. He hadn't however. He said it was because of her and Ace, said he didn't want to cause them more trouble.

 

And Rouge, Rouge didn't know what to believe.

 

Roger had seemed like Roger, tired and worn, older then in her memory, but he had been Roger. The man she had married and not the man that he had been when she had woken up from her death. She didn't understand what made the difference.

 

"Ace, what are-," Sabo stops, his voice drying up and Rouge bites her lip and waits to see what he'll do. Let's him decide their next step. "Mom?"

 

"Morning, Ace is on the couch if you need him. This will be done in a minute if you want to eat with us before we head out for the day."

 

Sabo nods, "I might. Might not, Luffy's sleeping in my bed and I thought, I thought Ace had fallen asleep in the bathroom. Again."

 

"No, just the couch," Rouge smiles.

 

"Mom," Sabo pauses like he's not certain. "Does Ace know? About you?"

 

"No. I didn't want either of you to know, I told you that already, didn't I, Sabo?"

 

Sabo nods, grinning sheepishly, "Yeah, I should have remembered. Sorry," He yawns, shivering. "I'm gonna go back to bed."

 

"Sleep well."

 

Rouge watches him pause in the doorway to the living room, something crossing his face that she can't read from the angle she can see, but she's never been as good as her husband and her son at reading other's emotions. She had tried, but there were times that she couldn't begin to guess what they could be thinking. What they could be feeling.

 

She ducks her head, glancing away as Sabo moves back down the hallway to his bedroom, stumbling slightly over the rug that was in the middle of the hall. The door closing behind him sounded almost as if there had been something ending and Rouge didn't understand it. Sabo wasn't going to leave, he had said as much, but still.

 

* * *

 

Ace pauses when he spots Marco arrive, his eyes lingering on his car before he forces himself to refocus. He could talk to Marco later, after they had finished up with the building for the day, he needed to focus on the roof, make sure that it was set up and that they did their best work. Besides, they were going to talk afterwards.

 

"You're spacing out on us," Deuce states, nails clenched between his teeth, mangling his words. "Ya can focus on other shit later, we've got shit to do."

 

"Thank you, Deuce. You're absolutely right, I would never have guessed."

 

"You sarcastic little shit."

 

"We're the same age, Deuce. Literally born in the same year."

 

"And you're even older then me," Deuce states interrupting Ace before he can carry on. "Why does that matter when you're mooning like a high schooler over Marco?"

 

"I'm going to kick you off this roof."

 

"Do it, I bet you won't."

 

"Fine, I'm going to do it as soon as I reach your section of the roof. You're too far away for me to kick."

 

Deuce smirks, fixing his mask as he looks up, "Only because you're short."

 

"Fuck you, Deuce."

 

"Those tiny little legs," Deuce continues as if he hasn't heard Ace. "The shortest legs that I have seen. Your mom is tall too, how are you so short?"

 

" _Off the roof,_ " Ace hisses through his teeth.

 

"Are you threatening to kick people off the roof again?"

 

"No, Aunt Shakky."

 

Shakky frowns at him, "I thought I told you to stop calling me that, brat. Your mom says you can't kick him," She points a finger at Deuce. "Off the roof unless you can find a way to make it look like an accident."

 

"Unfair," Ace sighs, glaring at Deuce. "You win this round."

 

"I tend to win most rounds. You went out to dinner last night didn't you? How was mooning up close and personal?"

 

Ace groans, "I'm not talking about it."

 

"Aw, boss. Don't you want to talk about the light of your life? The wind-" Deuce stops, ducking under the hammer Ace threw at him. "That could kill someone."

 

"It's justifiable murder, I'm sure," Ace smirks already making a plan, now he just had to keep Deuce distracted until the end of the day. Then he could confront Marco on his own.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Voice is very mysterious and Ace finally talks to Marco about something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so it's been a bit, i see.

"There are many endings," The Voice whispers, soft as silk and thundering like explosions. A contradiction that only makes sense inside Roger's thoughts, and only sometimes at that. "Just as there can only be one beginning, one start, it's the middle that makes one understand and reach the conclusion."

 

Roger knows that it's talking about Ace. About the choices and the influences that are leading his son to where he is going to end, but it's not telling Roger an ending. It's not teasing of what could occur or of moments that could make or break Ace. It won't speak of the things that Roger wants to know or how he can try to help. It had only gotten more cryptic since Rouge had come to him for answers, answers that he couldn't give her, no matter how much he might want to, and oh, how he wanted to give them to her.

 

"And when Ace gets to his end? What do you think will happen then? What will become of him when you make those choices?" he asks tiredly.

 

"Not us," it's overlapping voices and languages, soft and loud, happy and sad. Everything all at once because that is what it is. The Voice of _Everything_. "When Ace makes his choices."

 

Roger hates this part. Hated that he can't know. That his power, the Voice, controls him more than he could ever hope to try and control it. He's always been jealous of others, with their easy to control powers and their ability to escape from them. To stop using them when they decided to. Roger doesn't have that. The Voice continues when he tries to stop if, when he tries to ignore it.

 

"I want to help him. He's my son."

 

The Voice doesn't answer, but Roger isn't sure that he expected it to. He hates it. Hates how it's not even bothering to try and help him. That it never tries to help him because it only wants to do what it wants to do, not to listen to the person that has been cursed with it.

 

"Should help him," Roger feels cold as the Voice talks again. "Should go to him and offer him your aid."

 

"You, you have no right to so this."

 

"No?" That doesn't sound like the Voice and Roger _hates_ , wishes he could burn, that voice out because it always uses Akainu's voice when it wants him to hurt. When Roger doesn't want to listen to it's plans. "So you would let him suffer? Let him try to stumble his way alone?"

 

Roger wishes that his powers were nothing more than the mental illness that the doctors had theorized when he had first been captured, before they had gotten the results of the blood tests and tracked the markers that proved them wrong. That all the things that Roger said could only be explained away by powers.

 

"I'm suppose to stay here."

 

"Why? You told Rouge," her name is always said loudest by a voice that mimics Rouge's. Sounding just like it did when she introduced herself to him all those years ago. The happy young woman that smiled at him, bright as a sunrise. "That could leave. That you could walk out of here at anytime and never be found? We can do that, we can leave and help Ace." The voice that says his son's name is always the same and Roger wonders, rarely because he can't linger on it because it will only hurt him more, if that's what his son sounds like. "See if he needs us."

 

"Ace hates us."

 

It's fact. The facts are that Ace has never forgiven him for what he has done and will probably never forgive him for them. That Ace doesn't want to know them or come to visit, because Rouge and Edward both had told him that Ace was allowed to come if he wanted to. It was his choice to make, not theirs.

 

"Go to him."

 

"Only if he asks," Roger hisses, teeth gritted together and aching, resisting the urge to cover his ears because that would do nothing to shut it up. "It's Ace's choice. We won't force him to acknowledge us if that isn't what he wants," something behind his temple throbs and Roger can't help but feel the Voice is trying to punish him for not cooperating with what it wants. "Ace is an adult."

 

The Voice is silent and Roger isn't stupid enough to think that means he's won. He can't win against the Voice, it'll return when it wants, not that it's gone. It's never gone and Roger has learned that it won't leave him to the silence for long. Just long enough for Roger to relax before trying the force him again.

 

"Fuck," Roger whispers, glancing at the photos of his son, heart hurting. Ace was in trouble, something was going to happen and, for once, he didn't know what it was or even how to help. He was useless locked away like this.

 

But was it really worth the scrutiny that would fall on Rouge and Ace should he escape? Would it be worth the rumors that would return, of Ace's parentage coming back up in conversations, whispered darkly and with malice because Ace's father has never been spoken of.

 

Roger wishes the Voice answered to him. At least then he would have some sort of answers instead of this overwhelming confusion.

 

He pulls one of the more recent photos from the wall, Ace laughing with one of his friends. He feels like he should know the man, something that he can't see but feel, but that's not Roger's main concern. His concern is what the Voice has planned for Ace. It has been since the results of the experiments that proved something he had known but hadn't wanted to admit. That children could inherit versions of both their parent's powers.

 

The Voice didn't say if it could speak to Ace, but Roger almost fears it's silence more.

  


* * *

  


Ace feels like his stomach is going to twist right out of his mouth and onto Marco's floorboards every time he tries to open his mouth, moving and twisting, breaking his hopes that maybe he can bring this up without feeling like he's going to say something _wrong_.

 

"You look like I'm going to do something to upset you," Marco says, smiling as he catches Ace's eye before looking back at the road, one of his hands moving to hover in the space between them before settling on the shifter. "Did I do something wrong?"

 

"I don't want the world to burn."

 

Ace didn't mean to blurt it out like that. He didn't mean to say it like that or for the way he can't look at Marco as he waits for an answer. He wants to be able to stand up for this, because Marco had said he would burn the world for Ace and Ace, Ace doesn't want that. He's never wanted that and, heaven help him, he hopes that Phoenix was right when he said that it shouldn't matter.  


 

"Then," Marco's voice is soft and almost kind. "What do you want, Ace?"

 

"I," he bites his lip and tries to think because he wants to say it in his own words. He doesn't want to lean on anyone else for this. "To fix the system. To make heroes pay when they commit crimes and be held responsible for the damages. For the government to have to account for themselves and for those under their mantle," Ace's breath comes out shaky. "Do you think that makes sense?"

 

"Of course it does Ace," Marco smiles and something in Ace's chest loosens instead of going tighter. "I'm not going to be upset that you want something different then I offered you."

 

Ace glances at him and quickly away because he can't bare to look at him, even with him agreeing, "It's just," he wants to say this. He wants to trust Marco. "Mom, she always says that he offered to burn the world for her and she laughs about it. I always thought it was terrifying to have someone love that much, like my father loves my mom."

 

"If you love someone, then there isn't anything that you wouldn't do for them. But," Ace feels like his heart will stop in his chest again, hovering in his throat. "Something I don't think people realize is that as much as you might love someone, you have to take their choices into consideration."

 

"You think that?"

 

Marco nods, "Your father taught me that," he glances at Ace for a long moment. "He thought it was important for me to know not too long before he did what he did. It was strange, talking to him about it because I'm not sure why he would."

 

"You knew?"

 

"It's not hard for me to remember how your parents were before," he trails off. "Before. I remember that my dad use to say that your parents reminded him of a story, I think he meant a great romance, but, I wonder now if it's not a tragedy."

 

Ace snorts, "You're not-?"

 

Marco raises an eyebrow, "Not what, Ace? You aren't your father and you can't be him. You are and always will be yourself, no matter what anyone else might say," he stops, "Don't cry please."

 

"I'm not," Ace says rubbing the heels of his palms against his eyes. "I'm not going to cry. Even if you're the first person that I've ever said anything about my father to that thought I was more than him."

 

"If you want, I'm sure that I can do something to keep that from happening again."

 

"I love you," Ace says and feeling his chest freeze. "I mean-"

 

Marco sighs, pulling the car over and Ace isn't sure if that's because they've arrived or because he's going to throw Ace out of the car because he said something so, so _stupid_.

 

"Look at me, please?" Marco asks and Ace wants to say no, wants to look away from him, but he looks up instead. "I love you too, you're my best friend and you can't mean that much to me without me loving you."

 

"You," Ace can't tell if he's upset because Marco misinterpreted his words or so happy to hear Marco cares about him that much. "I'm your best friend?"

 

"You can have more than one," Marco smiles leaning over to wipe the tears on Ace's cheeks. "But you are so very important to me and if you need me, I couldn't leave you, all you have to do is ask."

 

Ace swallows, "You know about my," he licks his lips and tries to say it. "About the worry that my mom has that I might have my father's abilities too? I'm not, who knows how long-"

 

"I've known for a long time, Ace, and I mean it. If you needed me, I would drop everything for you," that's, Ace isn't prepared for this. He's not. "Ace, I've been planning for this since your mom and my dad got more concerned about this. I have everything set up."

 

"But your life?"

 

"You mean more to me then my job. I have enough money that I don't have to work, you've known that for years, Ace. Did you think it would mean anything to me to drop my work and live off the money I make with my investments, if it meant that you wouldn't have to be alone?"

 

"Hate you," Ace whispers, hating the way that his eyes burn and his throat seems to ache. "Why would you tell me that?"

 

Marco smiles, "I'm your friend and I can help you. I have the money to do what I want to without worrying. Just because you think that I would be ruining my life doesn't mean that I would. And if I did have to work, I would find a way to be with you as much as I could."

 

"You're the worst person that I have ever met. Worst person ever."

 

"I know, I'm not sorry for that, Ace. I'm really not," Marco hugs him and Ace hates how he just sinks into it. "Let me know when you're feeling up to getting out the car alright? We have time."

 

Ace laughs, and he knows that it sounds wet and sad, "We never seem to make it to dinner without an issue, do we?"

 

"We've been cursed," Marco agrees easily. "But Ace, I wasn't joking. If you need me, or need someone to be there, I'll always be there for you. Maybe not right away of course, but I will be there."

 

"Thank you," Ace pulls back, wiping his face. "Do I look presentable?"

 

"Of course. You always look presentable."

 

Ace snorts, "I'm sure. Marco," he stops. "If you knew someone was in love with you, really in love with you, and you told them that one day, maybe, you could love them back. Is, is that the wrong thing to say?"

 

Marco frowns, thoughtfully. "I think it depends on them. On the situation and how those involve decide to deal with it. I think I would need to know more before I could give a better answer, Ace."

 

"Maybe," Ace says tiredly. "Maybe later, but thank you, Marco. For everything."

 

"You're welcome."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rouge talks to Sabo a little more, about both herself and what is coming. Marco is confused, because Ace doesn't make sense and keeping secrets from yourself is harder than you think.

“Does it grow more,” Sabo asks softly, his hands twisted together in his lap. Rouge wishes that he would look at the tree instead of somewhere off to the right. At the wall or the floor, she’s not sure which one, just that it’s not her or the bright flowers that match the one that is in her hair. “You said you have to have one with you at all times. Do, will we really only have six more flowers?”

 

Rouge laughs, “No, it only ever has six at a time,” she brushes her fingers over the bark and smiles at the warmth that it pushes back, almost the same feeling that Roger use to give her when he smiled. “I won’t be leaving you that soon. I’m here for a while yet.”

 

“And you haven’t told Ace?”

 

“No. How do you think he would take learning that I was killed and brought back by the very man that he hates?” Rouge wants to ask what the look that crosses Sabo’s face means, but she wouldn’t be able to bear it if Sabo told her that Ace did know. “How do you work that into a conversation?”

 

There’s a long silence. Rouge can feel it, deep and dragging as she tries to add something to her sentence to ease the sting of her words. To make a joke to make Sabo relax. But she doubts that anything that she says would help him. Even after their talk the other night, he still seemed to shy away from her. It would hurt more if he wasn’t still there. If Sabo didn’t come home like he always did and smile at her, even if he wouldn’t  _ look _ at her. It’s more than Rayleigh had ever been able to do and she’s grateful for that much, for the little looks that Sabo shoots her because maybe,  _ maybe _ .

 

“I don’t know why Akainu wasn’t punished,” Sabo says finally. “You were murdered and he just, he walked off like he ran over a squirrel. You,” he swallows and looks at his hands, Rouge hates that he still fears his own powers after all these years. “You  _ died _ and he said you got in his way.”

 

“I don’t know. I’m not involved with the government beyond what I have to be for the funding we need or that program that Ace started up a few years ago. I have too much else to do and,” she knows her smile is bitter. She’s bitter, far more bitter than she was back before she had died, but that’s not her fault. “I didn’t want to hear if the government called my death justified.”

 

Sabo huffs something that could have been a laugh, “I hate it. The government, all the people running it. I hate the way that they treat all these heros like they’re worth so much more, but you and Ace. You’re both working yourselves as hard as you can to fix things and no one else does  _ anything _ .”

 

“Oh Sabo, even we can’t make people change. If they decide to do something, there’s nothing that we can do. It’s all up to them. That’s free will.”

 

“Fuck free will.”

 

“Sabo.”

 

“Sorry. I, I shouldn’t have said that.”

 

“Without free will, you wouldn’t be here, Sabo. You would live at that place and we wouldn’t have met. That was your choice to leave, so don’t say that,” Rouge brushes a hand through his hair and her heart aches when he leans into the touch instead of away. “We love you.”

 

“I love you too, mom,” Sabo sighs, pressing the heel of his palm into his eyes and rubbing. “I’m just tired and nothing is changing. Nothing is going to happen unless we do something and the people who can, who have the power are complacent with the world we live in. Unless we can get them outraged the right way, none of them will act.”

 

“But?”

 

“Ace. He’s getting migraines and headaches. He says things sometimes that he shouldn’t be able to know and-,” Sabo stops. “He’s my brother. What if something happens to him? He can’t end up like Roger, I won’t let him, but I don't know what I can do.”

 

Rouge smiles sadly, her heart aching in her chest, “You can’t do anything, Sabo. You can’t change what’s going to happen, all you can do is be there for him if he needs you and you will. You’re a good brother and Ace trusts you, he’ll tell you if something happens. And you’re not alone trying to protect him.”

 

“Luffy’s not the best help.”

 

“He’s trying his best and he loves you too. But that’s not what I meant, Sabo. You have me and Edward Newgate will try his best to help. Shanks has promised me to be there should we need him, Shakky is willing to do what she can. Roger has offered to do anything that I ask to save my sons,” Rouge pauses. “And Marco would do anything for Ace and you know that.”

 

Sabo snorts, because he knows. He knows what Marco would do for his brother, “You would think that with all this nonsense they have that they could at least get married before being so disgustingly sweet and sappy.” he grins, proud of himself when Rouge laughs. “Ace has a deal with Phoenix, did you know that?”

 

“Does he?”

 

“I think it means that Ace has to kiss him, but I don’t know the details, he won’t tell me and Phoenix respects Ace’s wishes too much to give me any real hint. I think, I think if it got bad enough, we might be able to trust him if we need to.”

 

Sometimes, Rouge wonders how smart her sons could be, when they bring up the same man as if he’s two seperate people. She remembers Edward coming home from his last fight against Phoenix with a baby with bright blonde hair and brighter eyes, remembers the way the media had followed the government’s announcements of Phoenix’s death and then moved on to the next drama that had come along. But, maybe that’s why they think differently. The media was very good at putting the spin on stories that the government requested them to.

 

“If you think that would be a good idea. I trust your judgement Sabo, you know that.”

 

Sabo smiles before finally looking at her, Rouge can feel her heart soar, “Mom, would he,” he bites his lip. “Would Roger break out if he thought it would help Ace?”

 

“Roger,” she searches for the words, because her sons don’t know Roger. Not the way that she did. They had grown up with the stories and news reports, the documentaries and the rumors, but not the man himself. “Roger will do anything for his family. He will do what is best and that is usually what the Voice tells him to. Which I doubt is the answer that you want.”

 

“It’s not,” Sabo agrees. “If he breaks out, that’ll put more suspicion on you. On Ace. On Oro Jackson. On me and Luffy too, likely. I don’t think the paperwork you paid for me will stand up to that much scrutiny and Luffy will claim his father just because he has a cool name.”

 

“Kidnapping isn’t the worst crime to be arrested for, not when I did it out of love. After all, didn’t they make it illegal for Roger to have children or something stupid?”

 

“No. They did make it mandatory that anyone with known relation to Roger would have to be put on suppressants permanently and be under constant watch,” Sabo snorts. “Ace wouldn’t last long with that. He’s, he hates not being able to have his fire close.”

 

“He does. Do you think that’s why he likes Phoenix? All that fire?”

 

Sabo bursts into startled laughter, “Mom!”

 

“What? It’s a valid question, would he fall in love with someone who has fire powers just because of those powers?”

 

“I don’t think that would make Ace fall in love with anyone,” Sabo is still laughing. “Not even if he does think that it’s a bonus,” he glances at his watch and sighs, shoulders slumping. “I have to go, I have something to do with Dragon tonight.”

 

Rouge bites her cheek, pressing a kiss to Sabo’s forehead, “Be safe, Sabo. We want you to come home and you know what your brothers will do if you don’t come back. And they won’t be alone.”

 

“Thanks mom,” Sabo kisses her cheek as he stands. “Keep safe.”

 

“Keep safe,” Rouge returns as the door closes behind him, turning to look out the window to watch him vanish off to the newest hiding place that Dragon had set up for his Revolution. “Because I don’t think that Ace would react well to any of us leaving him.”

 

Roger had told her that much, what she had already put together herself, but had hated to have confirmed. The Voice would use weakness to make their son do what it wanted, would use the pain of a death or the sting of rejection if it was a strong enough one to get Ace to listen to it instead of the pain he was feeling. It had worked well enough for Roger and for all that Ace refused to admit that he was anything like his father, that was one trait that belonged solely to him and not to Rouge.

 

“What a mess we’ve made.”

 

* * *

  
  


“You know,” Marco says when Ace finishes eating his dinner and steals the dessert menu from his hands. “If you had asked, I would have given it to you instead of snatching it away.”

 

Ace smiles, and Marco wonders what he’s thinking about, “I just wanted to order first while you fumble.”

 

“I thought you cared about me and then you do something like this,” Marco sighs dramatically, smiling back. “Do they have something with salt in it? I’m not in the mood for anything too sweet tonight.”

 

“Molten chocolate cake with salted caramel filling?” Ace offers. “I think that’s the only thing with the world salt in its name on the menu to be honest.”

 

“Order it for me when you go to order your own.”

 

Ace grumbles but nods, glancing for their waiter while Marco pulls out his phone. His thoughts were still stuck on Ace’s question. It was specific and for some reason he thought he had heard those words before.  _ I could fall in love with you. If I had the chance.  _ He blinks and looks quickly around because those words, he ignores the way that his heart  _ aches _ and tries to remember who had said them.

 

This, Marco has learned over the years, was a problem with having his power have it’s own mind. With it being more than him while also being his. Phoenix could do quite a few things that Marco couldn’t, including keeping secrets. And Phoenix had a secret, something to do with Firefist and perhaps something to do with that phrase that made his heart feel like it was stuck in a vice.

 

“Do you think it’s possible to love more than one person,” Ace asks suddenly, looking past Marco instead of at him.

 

“Of course. Love isn’t just for one person, you can love so many people. The only time that it should be different is if you marry someone, because if you do,” Marco pretends that he can’t imagine Ace walking away with someone else, someone that loved him, leaving Marco behind. “That just means you love them best. Not that you stop loving other people.”

 

Ace laughs, glancing at him again, “Someone else told me that, you know. That you could love more than one person. For a moment you reminded me of him.”

 

“Are we similar?”

 

“No. He,” Ace leans his chin on his palm, a soft smile curving his lips. “He’s flirtatious and louder than you but sometimes. Sometimes you do things that make me think that he’s more than that. LIke agree with him about things like love.”

 

“I’m glad that you have someone else there for you.”

 

Heartbreak feels like glass smashed into his chest. It feels like ice down his spine and too little air in his lungs. Like his limbs are too heavy and there’s weights on his chest.

 

“He’s not like that. He’s my friend, I think and he says that he loves me, but I. I don’t love him. I care about him and maybe if I had time, I could love him, but I love someone else,” Ace glances at him and then away, his face flushing darkly. “But he also says that he respects my choices, even if it means that I never return his feelings.”

 

“He sounds like a good person to be friends with,” Marco agrees, feeling like he’s  _ missing _ something. There’s something there, just beyond his reach and he can’t figure out what it might be, even if it feels like it’s being screamed at him. “Maybe you should introduce us one day. If you want to.”

 

Ace laughs, “I don’t think you would get along.”

 

“We both love you, I think we can find more common ground from there. After all, you are the best friend that I could ever ask for.”

 

“You’re a better friend. Not many people would say they would quit their job to be there if they were needed,” Ace leans back as the waiter drops off their desserts. “We don’t even know what’s wrong.”

 

“And when we find out, I’m already set up to be there without worrying about paperwork or concerns.”

 

Ace fiddles with his spoon, instead of eating, “Do, do you think that the system could be changed? The hero system? Most people think that I want to burn it out-”

 

“Fixing the system,” There’s something that Marco can’t remember and this is part of it too. This, something about this, reminds him of something that leads nowhere. The trail just ends and Marco doesn’t know what is going on, why Phoenix is doing this, but he thinks that he wants the answers this time. “Is a goal that I think you could succeed at.”

 

“Thanks Marco. I’m always worried that people will laugh, I’ve only told one other person before. I haven’t even told my mom yet. I just, with my father, I always worry that they’ll think that I”m going to do something different than I am planning.”

 

“I trust you. I trust you to keep yourself under control and I think that fixing something, or trying to, is better than ruining it entirely. I think that with the right work, the system could evolve into something beyond what it is now and that people might actually be safer.”

 

Ace’s cheeks are dark red by the time that Marco finishes, smoke drifting from his skin, just like he always did when he was complimented too much. He never could resist running his fingers through the flames that he could tease- Marco pauses because he doesn’t tease Ace to flames and Ace isn’t even sure what his power is, he would never let Marco get that close to his fire.

 

“Thank you,” Ace says sincerely. “For believing in me.”

 

Marco smiles, “Of course I believe in you, Ace.”

 

There’s a moment where Marco thinks that Ace is about to say something, before he shoves another spoonful of his dessert into is mouth, missing the bill being slid onto their table and letting Marco snatch it up with a smirk. Ace had a bad habit of trying to pay when Marco was the one inviting him instead of letting Marco do what he said he was going to.

 

“It’s my turn.”

 

“I’m sure that’s what you think,” Marco agrees putting the money on the table with his tip, laughing as Ace slaps his own tip down. “But we both know that you’re wrong. Done?”

 

“Yeah,” Ace agrees, swiping his thumb over his cheek and licking the caramel from it. “Unless you have plans?”

 

Marco shakes his head, mouth dry, “No, come on. Let’s get you home before you fall asleep on me, like the big cat that you are.”

 

“I’m not a cat,” Ace yawns, stumbling into Marco’s side. “I’m human.”

 

“I know. Come on, let’s get you home. You’ve been up all day and that roof didn’t put itself up, you know. And there’s still more to do when you wake up tomorrow,” Ace sighs. “I know. But you’re good at your job and I know that you can do it.”

 

“You know, when most people compliment you like that, they want something, but. But I don’t think you do, do you Marco?”

 

“I want you to sleep.” Marco offers opening the door to the car for Ace to stumble into his seat and put on his seat belt. He leans against the door, watching him. “But that’s not what you meant.”

 

“It’s not,” Ace agrees yawning again.

 

Marco rolls his eyes, “I mean what I say, nothing more and nothing less. Now relax and you’ll be home in no time.”

 

Ace laughs and Marco closes the door, moving to his own door and letting Ace control the conversation as he pulls out onto the street and heads towards Ace’s home, humming softly along with the radio.

 

“What?” he asks, hearing the silence from Ace and feeling eyes on him. “Do I have caramel on my face too?”

 

“No,” Ace’s voice sounds unsteady, uncertain, but he doesn’t speak again until they’re parked in front of Ace’s house, the lights on in the living room and in the room that Marco thinks is Rouge’s office. “Marco, you’re the most amazing person that I have ever known.”

 

“Ace?”

 

“Good night.”

 

Marco stares after him, watching both doors slamming shut and wondering if he missed something important. There hadn’t been anything that he had said, had there? That had almost sounded like something else and Marco didn’t know what it could be.


	11. interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what are we? Ace knows, but doesn't answer.

 “ _You love him_ ,” it whispers, a soft murmur, as Ace stares out the window into the night. “ _You love and you love and you love him. And it burns as brightly as you do. You’re all fire and burning, full of emotions. He_ _loves_ _you, even with all of that_.”

 

Ace flinches and his nails bite into the palms of his hands, his tongue heavy in his mouth, as if made of something heavy and impossible to melt, as it keeps whispering. As it speaks of love and emotions that Ace doesn’t dare to speak of out loud because it will correct him unless it’s the absolute truth.

 

“ _Or you could love the other, the man who burns like you do. Like We do. He would burn for US, by OUR flames or his. And he would_ _live_ _._ ”

 

“I don’t love him, not yet,” Ace reminds the voice softly. “My heart can’t bare loving someone like that. They would both burn for us and we don’t know what Marco’s powers are. He could die when we burn him.”

 

“ _Lies. You are telling more lies_ ,” it hisses, enraged. “ _We do not lie._ ”

 

“We do not lie, but we twist and tangle the truth.” Ace agrees and the words feel heavy on his tongue. Like the weight that’s been on his shoulders for longer than he remembers. Like the knowledge of everything he’s been told. “We make it impossible to find.”

 

It laughs, bright and loud, as joyous as a child at their birthday, “ _Smart boy, you’re learning. Learning and growing, but there’s still something you haven’t answered yet, what am I? What are We?_ ”

 

Ace closes his eyes and leans against the window, even as he hears the glass crack under his shoulder from the heat, his head throbbing in time with his heartbeat like it always did when it started to speak. When it wanted answers that Ace couldn’t give, didn’t have the knowledge to give. Not yet.

 

“Honey, what are you still doing up? I thought you would be sleeping, did something happen?”

 

Ace turns, catching sight of his mother in the doorway, her hair down and tangled with her bathrobe falling from her shoulders, “Just thinking, it’s nothing.”

 

“No it isn’t, Ace. You’re always punctual,” she yawns, stepping closer and Ace can imagine the gaping hole in her chest, the way it would look if she didn’t cover it up, the truth of the horror that means she’s missing something. “About sleep when we have something to work on, do you want to talk about it?”

 

“I don’t think I’m good for Marco.”

 

“What are you talking about, honey, you like Marco.”

 

Ace can hear it calling him a liar, making his head scream as he keeps a straight face, “Marco would burn the world for me and I,” his breath hitches and he closes his eyes. “I wouldn’t even burn the world for you. I can’t, I can’t do it.”

 

“Honey,” he presses into the hand she places against his cheek. “Ace, just because you wouldn’t burn the world for him doesn’t mean you’re bad for him. I,” she pauses and Ace is almost ready to open his eyes when she continues, her voice sadder than he’s heard in a long time. “I wouldn’t burn the world for your father. I love him, I still love him so much-”

 

“ _Can a forest burn itself to dust in want of something it can never get? Of course, of course, of course. A hideous monster was made and it wore the face of a woman who would burn and burn and burn the world for her baby.”_

 

“-But I could never burn the world for him.”

 

“And for me?”

 

His mother -” _smiles, sad and bitter”_ , worse than the first time that Ace had asked her what his power was because he wanted to grow plants like she did, “I would do anything for you. Even burn the world. But you’re my son.”

 

There more to that sentence. Things that are suppose to be hidden from him, but he’s known for as long as he’s been able to remember. Like the hole in her chest, like the ways Roger killed, and like the death certificate with his name on it still.

 

“That doesn’t mean you don’t love him. That you don’t care for him more than anyone else in the world, it just means that you love this world more.”

 

“The world doesn’t love anyone,” Ace says finally, opening his eyes. “It’s not a thing that can love, why should I love it?”

 

“Because you’re a better person than I am,” she answers. “Did something happen at dinner? You’ve never brought up this before when you’ve gone out with Marco.”

 

Ace wants to lie, wants to and can’t, “Sometimes I think that Marco gives up too much for me. He would do anything for me and I, why can’t I at least do the same for him?”

 

_“You know why, you’ve known it for so long. Because you lie. You’re lying. WE do not lie.”_

 

“That’s something only you can answer for yourself, Ace. But please, don’t do it tonight,” she smiles kissing his forehead. “You need sleep and I don’t want you to fall asleep somewhere dangerous again. Seeing Deuce hold you upright on the roof because of your narcolepsy once is more than enough.”

 

“I’ll go to bed in just a bit,” Ace promises. “Good night.”

 

“Sleep well, Ace.”

 

Ace can hear her walk back down the hall to her bedroom, the door closing behind her before Ace looks back out the window, the pounding in his head returned with a vengeance for his lie. It would stay until he admitted the truth to himself.

 

“Because if I kill them, I’ll never reach my goal and that’s more important than burning the world for anyone,” Ace whispers when it becomes too much for him to handle. “Because I know what Phoenix is and I don’t know how to tell him.”

  
It purrs, like a cat that’s gotten what it wants, warm and twisting as the throbbing eases but doesn’t vanish, “ _You still have to name us, darling dearest fire. Don’t you ever forget that, it’s the most important question, What are WE?"_


End file.
